


A Slayer's Justice

by CelestialDrag0n



Category: Fairy Tail, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Childhood Trauma, Clark Kent need help being a parent, Fairy Tail Dragon Slayers, Minor Character Death, Multi, Original Character swears a lot, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Reincarnation, Self-Insert, Teenage Dorks, Teenage Drama, The Team is a found family, dragons slayers just go feral sometimes, it's a dragon slayer in young justice, no beta we die like men, please bear with me it gets better, pyromania but in a good way, seriously she's a potty mouth, some of the early writing is not very good
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:54:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 22
Words: 41,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24919417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelestialDrag0n/pseuds/CelestialDrag0n
Summary: Robots, supervillains, and dragons, oh my! This is not how I thought my life would go, but hey, if I can be a hero, I might as well be the best hero I can be!OrA young Dragon Slayer living in a DC universe... surely nothing can go wrong. Right?Crossposted from Spacebattles
Relationships: Artemis Crock & Oliver Queen, Artemis Crock/Wally West, Arthur Curry & Kaldur'ahm, Barry Allen & Wally West, Clark Kent & Kon-El | Conner Kent, Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne, J'onn J'onzz & M'gann M'orzz, Kon-El | Conner Kent/M'gann M'orzz, Original Female Character & Everyone, Wonder Woman & Original Female Character(s), kaldur'ahm/happiness
Comments: 4
Kudos: 74





	1. Prologue: Slayer's Origin

"So... I'm dead, aren't I?"  
  
My voice echoed through the void around me. Or, what passed for my voice, at least - I wasn't really sure if it was making sound, seeing as I apparently didn't have a body anymore. Nope, I was just a disembodied consciousness hanging around in this weird-ass darkness. Y'know, totally normal stuff for a Monday.  
  
I'm not sure exactly how long I'd been floating here. It could have been only a few minutes, or hours, or days, or years. I had no real way to tell time here. Still, this was getting kind of... boring, really. And I've never been a very patient person.  
  
"Look," I 'spoke' out to the blackness surrounding me, "can we just get on with... whatever's supposed to happen now? Hell, I'd settle for knowing what's gonna happen."  
  
**That is for you to decide.**  
  
If I still had eyes, they'd have bulged out of their sockets at that. I wasn't alone here, there was another voice... And it sounded _pissed_.  
  
"Oh shit... S-sorry, I didn't mean to a-anger you, O Ominous One," I stammered out. "I just... I got impatient..."  
  
**It is fine.** Okay, now it just sounded resigned. **You were not supposed to die yet. The scales must be balanced.**  
  
... Well, I wasn't sure how to respond to that. I 'looked' around, trying to find the source of the voice, but all I saw was nothingness stretching in every direction. "Um, uh... What, exactly, does that mean?" I asked in a small voice, doing my best to not give whatever omnipotent being this was a reason to erase me from existence.  
  
**Your life was cut short, by events that should not have occurred.**  
  
"You mean... the car accident?"  
  
**Yes. Not every accident draws my attention such as this, but here, so much potential was wasted.**  
  
"Potential?" If I still had a head, I'd have shaken it. "I'm not really someone who screams potential. Hell, I was kind of a fuckup. So why me?"  
  
**Why you, indeed... I do not know. But I can take this potential and give you another chance.**  
  
"Another..." No, no way. They weren't serious, were they? They couldn't be. "Do you mean..."  
  
**Reincarnation.** A sense of approval (what?) seemed to pass through me. **A new life, a new world, a new chance to make things right.**  
  
This... this was too much. "I..." I 'swallowed'. "I can't. I'm not... not worthy of this. I haven't done anything to earn this, I'm just... I'm just _me_."  
  
For a moment, all was quiet. Fear began to coil within my soul. How was this, this being going to react? Smite me? Banish me to hell? Or maybe just leave me in this void for the rest of eternity?  
  
Then it spoke again, and this time, the words were soft. **Yes, you are just _you_.** For the first time since I arrived in the void, a light began to glow. Softly at first, then brighter and brighter until it became blinding. **And that is precisely why you are being given this chance.**  
  
I could feel myself falling, slipping away from the presence I hadn't even noticed around me. Confusion and disbelief turned and twisted in me. Why? Why me? Why do I get this chance?  
  
"I don't understand!" I screamed, barely able to hear myself. "What... What do I do now?!"  
  
Before the light finished consuming me, I heard the being's last words, a final response.  
  
**That is for you to decide.**  
  


* * *

  
**Earthland  
Year X3??**  
  
Atlas Flame alighted upon the cliffside, gazing at the land displayed below him, forests coating the ground and rivers winding down, far from the distant mountains. The cold wind of the winter night did not touch him, the hellfire wreathing his body keeping it at bay. The great wyrm dwarfed any of the local fauna in both size and power. Here, settled on high before the lesser beings, was where a dragon should be, secure in their might and glory.  
  
And yet... Atlas closed his eyes, recalling to events of days just past, yet far, far into the future.  
  
That boy, Natsu. He claimed to be the son of Igneel, King of all Fire Dragons. Atlas could hardly believe that a dragon as proud of him could care for a human so much as to adopt them. At the same time, though, the young Dragon Slayer was simply too earnest, to _guileless_. Even with only a single battle with him, half of which they had spent on opposing sides, was enough for Atlas to tell that the kid lacked a single dishonest bone in his entire body. And the way Natsu had been so welcoming, referring to him as 'uncle' and trusting him to assist against the mind-bender... They were different in so many ways, yet the human did indeed carry Igneel's spark within him.  
  
Atlas wondered idly how long it would be before the boy was born. At least 400 years, if he recalled correctly - that was how far forward the gate had supposedly brought the seven dragons. 400 years before Natsu and Igneel, before his family...  
  
Family?  
  
A growl rumbled within Atlas Flame's chest as he took to the air once again, powerful wings kicking up wind that would flatten anything smaller than himself. Dragons should not care about silly things like family bonds, and yet here he was, feeling bittersweet nostalgia over evens that he may never see come to pass. He should be better than this!  
  
The wyrm flew for hours, trying and failing to clear his mind of these unfamiliar thoughts. His stamina, while impressive, was not infinite, and eventually he found himself tiring. Atlas straightened his wings and began gliding down, thinking that perhaps the could find a good meal before he retired for a bit...  
  
A thin black trail in the sky caught his attention. Smoke? Now where was that coming from? His exhaustion warred with his curiosity for a few moments before curiosity won out, and Atlas turned to investigate the source.  
  
It only took a few minutes before Atlas stumbled upon it. A human village. He hadn't been aware there was a village here to began with. Not surprising, perhaps, as it was nestled within a hollow at the base of a mountain, an area few would check were they not already aware of it's location. Perhaps that is why they'd survived without attracting the attention of Atlas or another dragon... At least, until now.  
  
He landed in what might have once been a town square and craned his neck, sweeping his burning gaze upon the ruins before him. Most of the buildings had been reduced to little more than ash, with only a few basic frames still somewhat discernible. Embers were visibly glowing from what little wood still existed, and here and there, small fires continued to burn. The village had likely been standing until a few hours ago, Atlas mused. There were large claw marks on the ground, especially around what looked to be groupings of corpses that had been burned beyond recognition, wherever they weren't torn to pieces. A dragon attack, then. Atlas may have had a newfound appreciation of human life, yet he remained realistic - there was nothing more he could do here.  
  
_Wait..._ The dragon paused, wings already half-lifted to take flight. There was a sound, something coming from one of the few buildings still semi-intact. Cautiously, Atlas moved through what had once been streets, arriving at the former home. The roof was half-collapsed, allowing him to poke his head in and take a look inside. Most of the interior was intact, but Atlas could clearly see the two corpses caught underneath the rubble inside.  
  
As well as the wailing baby in the nearby crib.  
  
Shit. What was he supposed to do here? With no one left to care for it, the child would die soon. Yet there were no other human villages anywhere nearby that he could take it to. Should he kill it? Put it out of its misery? No, that just seemed cruel.  
  
Atlas was so preoccupied with his thoughts that it took him a moment to realize that the crying had stopped. Blinking, the dragon turned back towards the crib to see the human hatchling staring silently at him. It - no, humans used colors like the ones on its clothes to identify gender, didn't they? - _she_ had to be less than a year old, but not by much. A shock of red hair decorated the top of her head, and her large blue eyes watched him with innocent curiosity. That look stirred something within Atlas, and he once again recalled the gaze of the young Slayer as he proclaimed them to be family.  
  
Moderating his flames so that they did not burn, the wyrm reached inside the house and gently extended a claw to the child. She gazed upon it for a moment before extending her arms and touching the scaled hide. A smile broke out on her face as she batted at the flames, entertained at the way the parted before her. A giggle bubbled out of mouth as the played with them.  
  
_Well, I'm already an uncle,_ Atlas thought wryly. _If that old lizard can raise a child, maybe I can as well_.  
  


* * *

  
_A blinding beam slicing through the air.  
  
"The Gate, get to the Gate!"  
  
Burning embers wrapping around a jet-black form.  
  
"Little one, wait-!"  
  
A roar as the world became white._  
  
_"ATLAS, NO!"_  
  


* * *

  
**Metropolis  
2003**  
  
Officer Michelson covered his hand with his mouth, trying to suppress a yawn. He's been up all night patrolling, and had been looking forward to getting some sleep when this call came in. Hopefully, it's be something that they could take care of quickly. He hated hospitals.  
  
"Sir?" a voice, hesitant and uncertain, called his attention, He glanced around and saw a nurse, standing at the lobby's entrance. "Could you came with me? Dr. Anders would like to see you now."  
  
"All right." Michelson stood up quickly, following the nurse as she led him through the hallways. Technically, his partner should be coming with him for this, but Michelson had decided to let the rookie rest in the car for this one. It was his first night shift, after all.  
  
Soon, the pair of them stood before the entrance to one of the rooms. The nurse knocked on the door, and after a moment, it opened to admit them. Michelson entered and got a good look at the doctor who had called him in this early in the morning. Anders was almost a head shorter than the officer, and his dark skin contrasted highly with the officer's pale complexion. Anders nodded once the nurse left, closing the door behind her.  
  
"Thank you for taking the time to come in, officer," Anders began. "This is an... unusual case."  
  
"Unusual?" Michelson echoed. "You mentioned this was a kid. I thought this would have just been a runaway case?"  
  
"Yes, but..." Anders grimaced, turning to the final occupant of the room. A young girl, no older than eight or nine, with a mane of red hair laid on the bed, deeply asleep. "This is.. an unusual case. We found this girl outside just a few hours ago, ragged and injured, screaming for help. We managed to sedate her, but we caught her name before she fell asleep. Ashley."  
  
Michelson sighed. "Okay, but you still haven't explained what's so strange about it."  
  
Anders sighed, reminding the officer an exasperated mother. "What's unusual is, most runaways don't appear at our hospital _on fire_ , yet completely unharmed."  
  
Michelson stiffened, then turned to look at the television. The early news was already playing, showing a picture of the media's latest craze for the past several months: Seven heroes in costume, standing together to fight off alien invaders.The Justice League.  
  
"Oh, _hell_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AO3 NOTE: So, as I mentioned in the summary, this fic is a reposting of an old story I had over on Spacebattles. I decided I'd start posting it over here, see if I could reach a wider audience. I'll be keeping the old notes posted as well, but I'll add new notes with the phrase "AO3 NOTE" beforehand to add in any current insights I have.
> 
> Enjoy!


	2. Arc 1 (Independence Day): Seven Years Later

**Metropolis  
July 2, 2010  
23:47 EST**  
  
The woman was shivering in the night air. Not from cold, not in the middle of summer. No, it was from nerves, a long-ingrained fear of walking alone in the dark. After all, even in Superman's city, one could never be too careful. Her head whipped around, back and forth, as she repeatedly scanned her surroundings in an effort to assure herself that she was alone. Spotting no one, she ducked into an alleyway, presumably some shortcut to her destination.  
  
 _People should really be more observant,_ I thought idly as I watched from the rooftops. You'd think that in a world where flying superhumans existed would have taught people how to look up more often. But nope, the idea never seemed to cross people's minds until it was too late. I actually took a moment to furtively glance upwards myself, making sure the Big Blue Boy Scout hadn't shown up since I last checked.  
  
I doubted he'd come for me here, but I probably did cut a suspicious figure up here on the roof. I was wearing dark clothes, with my hair tucked up in a ski cap and a deep red scarf covering my lower face. I probably looked like a burglar or something, rather than the wannabe superhero I actually was.  
  
I turned my gaze back to the alley and immediately narrowed my eyes. There was a second person now, someone following the woman. A bald man dressed in a wife-beater and cargo pants. I sniffed the air and nearly reeled back in disgust - he reeked of alcohol.  
  
A drunk man following a defenseless woman into an alley... Yeah, no way was this gonna end well. I moved along the edge of the roof, towards a fire escape that led down to about where the woman was standing now. As I began to climb down, a slurred shout rang out, indicating that the drunkard had caught up to her.  
  
"Hey there, pretty girl..." Ugh, I hadn't even seen his face and I already wanted to punch it in. "Wha' say you c'mere? I can show you a good time~"  
  
I reached one of the escape's landings in time to turn and see the nervous look on the woman's mousy face. "Ah, n-no thanks," she stuttered out, backing away from the much larger man. "I'm r-really tired and just wanted to go home."  
  
"Tha's no fun, though." He reached out and grabbed her shoulder, causing her to freeze up. "C'mon, lady, I'll take real good care o' ya..."  
  
Right, stopping this now. I placed both my hands on the railing of the fire escape and launched myself over, falling through the air for a couple seconds before landing with a heavy thud on the ground behind them. Perfect three-point landing, too. I was quite proud of myself for that. Also, glad that I was finally tough enough to do that without hurting myself, like the first time I tried it a few years back... _That_ had been an awkward injury to explain.  
  
"All right," I started, pulling myself up and the man whirled around. "I'm gonna ask you to take a step ba... _Gary?_ " I blinked as I took in the thug's scarred face and familiar sneer. I hadn't recognized his scent, just how plastered was he? Eh, not important. "Didn't we just do this whole song and dance last week, man?" I let out a dramatic sigh as his features began to darken. "Not that I mind kicking the shit out of you, of course, but seriously, you need a vacation."  
  
He let loose a little growl, letting the paralyzed woman go. "Fire bitch," he spat out. "Get lost, kid, I wasn' doin' nothin'."  
  
"That's a double negative, Gary. Really you should know better than that." As I spoke, I locked eyes with the woman behind him and jerked my head a bit. Thankfully, she got the message and began backing away, allowing me to return my attention to the muscle-for-hire before me. "And really, I'm helping you here. You're out on bail, aren't ya? I'm just trying to make sure you don't do anything you regret."  
  
Gary didn't seem to appreciate my concern. He reached into his belt and pulled out a rather large knife, pointing the tip at me in a way I'm sure he thought was menacing. "Heh, I'm gonna enjoy cutting tha' tongue of yours out."  
  
"Oh god, no, a knife, someone help me," I deadpanned. "Seriously, you wanna do this now? You technically haven't done anything wrong tonight."  
  
His response was unsurprising - charging at me, swinging the weapon drunkenly. Sighing, I stepped around his swings until I was inside his guard, than lashed a fist out. Fire blossomed around my limb just before it impacted his face with a satisfying _CRACK_. Dropping the knife, Gary went flying across the alley into a wall, where he slumped over, unconscious.  
  
"Seriously," I whined at his KO'ed form, "I know you were drunk and not thinking straight, but that was pathetic. Even for you." I bent down and picked the knife up. Its design was pretty ostentatious, probably designed to be more of an art piece than to the actually used in a street fight like this. A small amount of concentration on my part, and the metal began glowing with heat, allowing my to easily deform it into uselessness.  
  
Dropping it, I pulled a few zip-ties out of my pockets and went about tying the thug up. I also took a moment to frisk him, quickly finding and claiming his phone. A quick call to the police (which involved me doing my best Gary impression to them) later, and I felt free to wander off, confident that he wouldn't be any more trouble for anyone tonight.  
  
I left his phone with him. I'm not a monster, after all.  
  


* * *

  
 **July 3  
01:38 EST**  
  
I quietly snuck into the house, the window I'd left unlocked earlier making no noise as I closed it behind me. I had to remember to watch my step as I moved across the floor. Didn't want to wake anyone up, after all. Now, if I could just get to the bathroom I'd left my clothes in...  
  
The light snapped on, nearly causing me to stumble in surprise as I turned to find out who'd done it.  
  
"Hello, Ashley," said the woman sitting in the chair. Her face was deeply lined from both age and stress, and her gray-streaked brown hair framed her piercing hazel eyes. She was also holding the pajamas I'd left out to change into.  
  
With a sigh, I nodded to her. "Hello, Ms. Black," I replied to my (current) foster mother.  
  
Ms. Black's frown deepened as she watched me tug off my cap, allowing my red hair to tumble down my back. "And where do you think you were this late at night?"  
  
"Out," I replied, unwrapping my scarf. "Is that a problem?"  
  
"It is if you were out... _gallivanting_ with the criminal element."  
  
I slapped a hand to my mouth to keep from chucking. "Gallivanting? Really? That's certainly a new one."  
  
"You know what I mean." The older woman sighed in exasperation. "I know you think you're some form, of... _hero_ , young lady, but I thought I made it clear I didn't want you doing this vigilantism while living under my roof."  
  
I met her gaze for a moment, before flinching and looking away - her stare was like a hawk's. I noted that of the room's three beds, they were all empty. One was mine, and the others... "Where are Alex and Jess?" I asked, curious about my erstwhile roommates.  
  
"Sleepovers," Ms. Black replied simply, "and don't try to change the subject. If you're not going to follow the rules I set out, then there will be consequences."  
  
"Like what?" I said, raising an eyebrow. "No, seriously, what kind of hold do you have on me to keep me from helping innocent people?"  
  
There was a silence between us for a moment before she sighed again. "It is too late to deal with this." She held the pajamas out, and I silently accepted them. "We'll discuss this in the morning." With that, she stood up and stalked from the room, closing the door behind her.  
  
I stood there for a moment, thinking over what we had just said, before throwing the sleepwear onto my bed and getting down on my knees. From under my bed, I pulled out a still mostly packed suitcase, which I quickly opened and withdrew a box from. I flipped the lid and and started counting. I had a couple hundred dollars saved up here... And honestly? This might not have been the worst foster home I'd been in since I entered the system, but at this point, I was done with the whole thing. I needed to get out, at least for a few days.  
  
 _... I'm pretty sure there was a bus to Washington DC heading out in a couple of hours_ , I thought as I threw the pajamas into the suitcase and pocketed some money. _Might be nice to see the sights._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, short update to help establish what Ash has been doing for the past little while, and getting her entrance to the main plot set up. Nothing really much happened here, I admit, but it's not bad to start a bit slower before picking up the pace.


	3. Arc 1 (Independence Day): Travels

**Washington, D.C.  
July 3, 2010  
07:58 EST**  
  
As it turns out, there was one downside to taking a bus out of the city that I'd entirely forgotten about. A downside so heinous, so vile, that I was almost tempted to find a way to travel back in time in order to kick sense into myself before I could ever think of it again.  
  
Yes, it was the bane of all Dragon Slayers everywhere: Motion sickness.  
  
"Unngh..." I groaned miserably, curled up across two of the Greyhound's seats. Normally, I don't think the driver and other passengers would allow that, but seeing as I had spent the past two hours trying to keep my intestines from vacating my body via my mouth... Yeah, they were kind of giving me a wide berth.  
  
So caught up in my misery, I was, that I hadn't even realized we'd stopped until I felt someone tapping on my shoulder. "Excuse me, miss?" an older gentleman asked, nervously biting his lip. "We've reached the last stop. I'm assuming you want to get off."  
  
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak, and slowly collected myself. I managed to stagger off the bus through the throngs of disembarking passengers. The second my feet were back on solid ground, the sickness that had plagued me this entire trip seemed to vanish. Relieved, I took a deep breath of the not-so-fresh city air, then turned back to the bus. I couldn't suppress a shudder even as I made to retrieve my suitcase from the _rolling metal contraption of death_. Never again.  
  
Soon, I'd set off at a brisk walk, heading towards a motel I'd previously researched as being not too far from the station. It was a fairly cheap place, and more importantly, one that wouldn't look too closely at a minor staying alone if she was willing to pay upfront in cash.  
  
it didn't take me long to reach it, and once I'd paid, I found myself in a mostly bare-bones room. There was an older model T.V. against one wall, a bedstand with a lamp on it, and the bed itself, which smelled suspiciously like dust, old soap, and a musky scent that I couldn't quite identify. Not that I wanted to. With a sigh, I threw myself onto it - it was far from the most questionable place I've slept - and crawled under the covers. Pulling all-nighters was never easy, and the bus ride had only made me more exhausted once my stomach had calmed down enough. It only took a few minutes before darkness claimed me.  
  


* * *

  
_A steady beat in the air, shattering the calm quiet.  
  
"He comes... Ashley, you have to run."  
  
"But-!"  
  
"No time, run, NOW!"  
  
A terrible roar, the sound alone tearing the land asunder.  
  
The darkened sky lighting up, blinding, BURNING-  
  
"NO!"_   
  


* * *

  
I practically launched myself out of bed, flinging the covers off as I fell, landing on the floor with a hard THUMP. Scrambling to my feet, I stumbled over to the bathroom, wrenching the door open. My fingered scrabbled on the wall for the light switch. The second the glow lit up the small room, I rushed in and turned on the sink. I cupped my hands and splashed the cold water on my face once, twice, three times as I struggled to get my breathing under control. In, out, in, out, in, out....  
  
It didn't take long before I was capable of thinking coherently again. My hands were still shaking, prompting me to glare at them ruefully before tightening my grip on the sink's edge.  
  
"A dream," I muttered, "just another stupid dream. Calm down, Ash, you're safe, you're fine, that thing's a world away..."  
  
As my rambling trailed off, I brought my head up, taking a good look at myself in the mirror. Rich blue eyes, underscored by slight bags, stared back at me. My chest-length red hair, a deeper color than strictly "normal" cascaded behind me, the look somewhat marred by the obvious bedhead. Pale skin with a slight tan, a small scar near my right temple, an open mouth framing overlarge canines... It was a look that had taken me years to get used to, but nonetheless, it was mine. It was _me_.  
  
The shaking had stopped. I made my way out of the bathroom, glancing at the small alarm clock next to the lamp. 9:15 AM... Dammit. I wasn't getting anymore sleep after that, not at the moment.  
  
I flopped back down onto the bed, pulling out my phone. Might as well get started with a plan for what to do for the next few days. I'd always wanted to see the sights...  
  


* * *

  
 **July 4  
14:23 EST**  
  
"Damn," I muttered, kicking a stone along the sidewalk. As it turns out, many of the local attractions are pretty freaking expensive. Between paying for my room and meals, I couldn't really afford to do most of them. At least the Smithsonian Museums were free. It had been nice to walk around and look at America's history for a few hours. There was also whatever hubbub was going on over at the Hall of Justice, but... I didn't really feel comfortable going to the HQ and glorified tourist trap of the Justice League.  
  
And hadn't that been a shock? Stumbling out of one world, straight into another, both of which I was vaguely familiar with from comics and T.V. shows... I had long since accepted that my new life was a strange one, but sometimes, it still hit me just how _bizarre_ my life was now.  
  
I shook my head, clearing those thoughts away. No need to dwell on it. Now if only I could find something to take my mind off it-  
  
Was that smoke?  
  
I looked around, sniffing the air as I tried to pinpoint where it was coming from. Smelled like... A few blocks to my left. Wasn't there a science lab or something there? I had passed it yesterday.  
  
I turned and ran, heading towards the far-too-familiar smell. Wherever there was smoke, there was fire, and wherever there was fire...  
  
I felt a feral grin pull at my lips, even as I reached into my jacket and pulled out the ski cap, tugging the scarf around my neck closer.  
  
... There would be another chance to prove myself a hero.


	4. Arc 1 (Independence Day): Cadmus

**Washington, D.C.  
July 4, 2010  
14:26 EST**  
  
Rounding the corner, I took in the sight of the burning building. It... wasn't actually as bad as I'd expected it to be. The fire seemed mostly concentrated in a small area of the second floor, so it can't have been burning that long. Something like that would be really easy to take care of, even by myself.  
  
Except I didn't want to be spotted. There were already people, evacuated workers and concerned civilians, gathered around outside. No ambulances or fire trucks yet, but I could already hear the sirens in the distance. It would look extremely sketchy if some random-ass teenager ran into the building in full view of everyone while wearing what barely passed as a "disguise." But I didn't just want to stand around doing nothing either, which meant I'd have to find another way in.  
  
Thankfully, the crowds seemed mostly concentrated around the front entrance. I began making may way around to the side of the burning building. There weren't any visible doors or windows from what I could see, but I was willing the bet there was some form of emergency exit somewhere. I mean, what kind of idiot would design a science lab without emergency exits? Surely there would be some way for me to get in.  
  
A few minutes later, and I was very tempted to cuss Murphy out. There _was_ an emergency exit in the back, but there were still people coming out of it, meaning I'd have the same issue using it as I'd have at the front entrance. The sirens had grown a lot louder, and I was sure they'd be here any minute now, and all the easy ways in were off limits to me.  
  
"Guess that means I'll have to make my own way in," I muttered as I stared up at a single solitary window on the building's side. It would grant me access if I could reach it, but the only way I was gonna reach it was... "This is gonna suck, isn't it?"  
  
Concentrating, I focused my inner flames towards the bottoms of my feet and palms, the latter of of which I held downwards, parallel to the ground. Tensing my knees, I waited as the heat built up, higher and higher, even as small licks of flame began circling around the area I was standing on. I held on until it felt as if the fire was about to explode out from my grasp, then, I let go.  
  
A dull roar echoed in my ears as I pushed off the ground, flames erupting from my palms and soles to boost my jump into a facsimile of flight. The last time I'd tried something like this, I'd nearly managed to crack my head open on the roof of the abandoned warehouse I'd co-opted for practice - at least, until its untimely and fiery demise _that wasn't my fault in the slightest_. At any rate, this time, I didn't put nearly as much force behind the flames, keeping them from launching me above the lab entirely. Unfortunately, I'd still screwed up and overcompensated the amount of firepower I'd needed for this - though at least I'd managed to aim for the window properly.  
  
Even if I did end up crashing through it head-first.  
  
"Fucking _ow_..." I groaned, rubbing my head as I shakily stood up, shattered glass crunching under my shoes. "Never been so glad I've got a thick skull before..."  
  
The smell of smoke caught my nostrils once again, yanking me back into the present. Right, fire burning down the lab, I should get on that. I jogged down the corridor I'd found myself in, following the scent until I reached a door with smoke billowing out from under it. Grabbing the doorknob (note, don't do this unless you're fireproof), I opened the door, allowing a scene straight out of Hell to greet me.  
  
Okay, possibly a slight exaggeration there, but seriously, there was fire _everywhere_. The heat and smoke alone probably would have suffocated anyone that wasn't able to just "nope!" it like me, but the flames would be more than enough to finish the job. It was lucky that the building had managed to be evacuated in time, since to most, the scene before me would mean nothing short of death for them.  
  
To me, though? All I saw was a _feast_.  
  
Pulling the scarf down, I opened my mouth and began to inhale. The fire shimmered for a moment, then thin streams of flame lifted up from the sources and spiraled through the air into my lungs. Once a sizable amount had entered, I began "chewing" the flames, accelerating the process while also taking time to enjoy the meal before me.  
  
Eating fire was... hard to explain. Each flame had a slightly different taste, usually depending of the source of the initial combustion. For instance, with this fire, there was definitely a tangy, almost chemical aftertaste, meaning that this was likely the result of some moron leaving a burner on or something. More than the taste, though, was the sheer power I gained from the consumption. It was like having pure sugar and caffeine injected directly into my bloodstream. It energized me like nothing else in the world, the flames converting to pure Ethernano, all for my use. Honestly, while I didn't get to do it often, I'd never pass up an opportunity like this.  
  
Within minutes, most of the fire in this room had come out, consumed by yours truly, and I was feeling pleasantly full. Licking my lips, I sniffed the air again, smirking when I smelled water and steam. Looks like the fire depatment had the rest covered. Time to head ou-  
  
... Huh?  
  
I frowned, taking another sniff of the air. Now that the smoke was abating, I could smell something else in the building. Something... alive? It didn't smell human, though. I began making my way to the other side of the room. It smelled like it was a few rooms over. I should probably see what was going on.  
  
No sooner had I opened the door, though, was I greeted by a blur of yellow and red. I had a split second to blink in confusion before it bowled past me, sending me spinning to the floor.  
  
"OHSHITFU-!" _THUD!_ "Ow... again..." I bit out, not moving from my position - spread-eagle on my back.  
  
"Geez, sorry!" a voice called out. I craned my neck a bit to look at the speaker. My eyes alighted on a teenager, around my age, dressed in a yellow costume and mast with red pants, goggles, and hair, rubbing the back of his head with one hand, a sheepish grin on his face. "I didn't think there was anyone left in... here..." His eyes narrowed as he took in my attire. "... Who are you, exactly?"  
  
I hesitated for a moment, not sure what to say - I didn't exactly have a hero name or anything - before mentally shrugging. "Name's Ash, and before you ask, no, I'm not the one who set the fire." I pushed myself into a sitting position and turned to face him. "I was in the area when I smelled smoke, and I... I wanted to help out."  
  
His mouth drew into a thin line as he glanced around at the room. "So... You're the one that put out this part of the fire?" He grinned. "Cool. Always nice to see a new hero."  
  
I raised an eyebrow at that. "Really? I don't wanna complain, but you're gonna trust me just like that?"  
  
"Not really," he admitted with a shrug, "but we saw the fire going out in here, and you're here too, it's not hard to put two and two together. Though if you stab us on the back or anything, we will take you down."  
  
"... Fair enough." I shrugged. "So, pretty sure I recognize you. You're that kid that helps Flash out, right? Speedy or somthing?"  
  
"Speedy's with Green Arrow," he said with a slightly annoyed chuckle, reaching out a hand to help me up. "I'm Kid Flash. Nice to meet you, Ash."  
  
"Same." I grabbed the proffered hand and let him help me to my feet. "So... What brings a big-name hero like you to a burning science lab?"  
  
He actually laughed at that. "Well, the League's off dealing with another situation, so Aqualad, Robin, and myself came to help out. Not that we really need to do much." His eyes flicked to the door. "Although... Batman's apparently had an eye on Cadmus for a while, so we thought we'd do some snooping while we're here too."  
  
"Snooping, huh..." I glanced towards the door as well. "Well, I did smell something weird before you ran me over..." I trailed off as I noticed the weird look he gave me. "I've got enhanced senses. Anyways, I'm kind of curious myself. Mind if I help out?"  
  
Even as the words came out my mouth, I started mentally kicking myself. _Idiot, what is wrong with you? These guys have no reason to trust you, and they're connected to the League! Don't you want to avoid getting on their radar yet?_  
  
"Well..." Kid Flash tapped his chin as be began walking to the door, his tone light and slightly teasing. "I still don't know if we can trust you, and I'd have to see what the other two think... But personally?" A smile split his face again. "I wouldn't mind the extra set of hands."  
  
For a moment, I chewed my lip, hands in my jacket pockets as I glanced between to teen hero and the door. Should I go with him, or just head off back to my room? I doubted there was anything I could really offer the more experienced heroes, and I'd probably get in the way more often than not. Not to mention that they'd probably find the whole thing suspicious enough to keep me from doing anything important anyways.  
  
And yet... I wanted to be a hero, didn't I? And now I had a more experienced hero, sidekick or not, offering to let me help out. Even if there wasn't a lot I could do, if there was even one way I could help...  
  
Well... There wasn't really a choice for me.  
  
"Okay then," I said, my eyes hopefully conveying my grin right back to Kid Flash. "I'm in."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Geez, getting KF's voice right was harder than I thought... Hopefully, I didn't totally butcher the character. Or make him act, well, out-of-character. And even if I did, at least I'll be getting practice at this, meaning hopefully I'll be able to get it better in the future!
> 
> AO3 NOTE: That's all the updates for now, I'll probably be posting 2 to 4 chapters every few days or so until I'm caught up to Spacebattles.


	5. Arc 1 (Independence Day): Introductions

**Washington, D.C.  
July 4, 2010  
14:37 EST**  
  
 _Oh god, what was I thinking?_  
  
This was the question on my mind as I stood, nervously fidgeting as the teen hero before me took my presence in. After accepting Kid Flash's offer, he had taken me to meet the other two heroes with him tonight: Robin, the Boy Wonder, and Aqualad of Atlantis. Of course, these two were trained by more... I'll be generous and say _cautious_ mentors. As such, they were immediately on alert when their friend walked in and announced that some random chick dressed more like an amateur burglar than a hero was gonna be helping them.  
  
I kind of wanted to blame Kid for this. There had to be a better way to introduce me than that.  
  
At any rate, Aqualad had given me a very suspicious once-over before asking the other two to keep an eye on me while he went to check something out. So, while Kid Flash was busy over in the corner rummaging through files, Robin was left sort of... staring at me while I tried not to give off villain vibes. Lemme tell you, the kid may be small, but his mentor sure taught him how to put people on edge.  
  
"So..." he eventually stared. "Ash, isn't it?"  
  
*Uh, yeah, that's me." Great job, me. Way to give off a confident air.  
  
"Hmm." He looked down at his wrist... computer... hologram thing. Honestly, it was actually really cool to look at, but I was feeling a bit too on-the-spot to appreciate it. "There haven't exactly been any reports about new heroes in D.C."  
  
"Er..." I gulped. "I'm not really from here anyways, I was just kinda... visiting?"  
  
Robin looked up at me again, and this time, there was a cocky grin on his face. "What's the matter, Ash? Feeling a little whelmed?"  
  
"... Yeah, you could say that."  
  
"Well, don't be. If what KF said is true, then you've got nothing to worry about from me 'n Aqualad." His grin widened. "Of course, if you lied to him, then you might be in a bit of trouble."  
  
I chuckled and nodded. "I swear I'm on your side. Cross my heart. And if I'm lying, then the three of you can kick my ass, sound good?"  
  
"Fine by me."  
  
I started to relax a little, even as I heard Aqualad moving back around the corner. I was still on edge, but at least they probably weren't gonna ask me to stay behind. I could still help out!  
  
... So why did I feel like things were about to go very, _very_ wrong?  
  


* * *

  
 **14:53 EST**  
  
Doctor Mark Desmond was not having a good day.  
  
Not only were the Board of Directors breathing down his neck for the still-untested Blockbuster formula, but they still hadn't pinpointed the cause of the fires that broke out on the upper floors. Worse, there were apparently intruders in the underground facility, who had managed to make their way all the way down to the lowest sublevels, where Project Kr was being kept. If the existence of the clone were to get out... Well, Desmond wasn't sure what the Board would do to him, but he doubted it would be pleasant.  
  
He was currently leading a small contingent of Genomorphs down to the room where the clone was being grown. Hopefully, they would be able to put a stop to this mess, one way or another.  
  
Then, several sounds rang out. Glass breaking, followed by several loud impacts. Desmond began increasing his pace. Those sounds were coming from Project Kr's room. Had they woken the clone already? Maybe this was a blessing in disguise - a good way to test the Superboy's current strength while also stopping and disabling several security breaches. Maybe he could even spin this in such a way that the Board would give him a larger budget for his research-  
  
And explosion suddenly rang out from the room, powerful enough to send the doctor stumbling. Moments later, his nostrils were filled with the acrid stench of smoke. That... That had also come from the Project's room.  
  
Never mind. The Board was _not_ going to be happy about this, no matter what the outcome.


	6. Arc 1 (Independence Day): Belly of the Beast

**Washington, D.C.**  
 **July 4, 2010**  
 **14:41 EST**  
  
Guardian had a job to do. Ever since he had begun helping Cadmus, it had been a fairly easy job - make sure no one found the real labs. Given that said labs were hidden underground, there really hadn't been that much to do, aside from one or two close calls when someone got on the wrong elevator. But now, they'd been compromised - no less than four perimeter breaches, all down on Sub-Level 26. Desmond hadn't believed it when Guardian reported, overconfident in the lab's secrecy, but he had relented and allowed him to investigate after a bit of insistence. And so, with his G-Gnome and five G-Elves accompanying him, with even more on the way, Guardian raced to finally do his job.  
  
It didn't take long for Guardian to track the breaches to the room where G-Sprites generated power for the facility. Taking just a moment to make sure the genomorphs with him were prepared, he sent to command to open the doors.  
  
"Don't move!" he called out, racing inside. His G-Elves quickly moved into position, and he took a moment to survey the situation before him, only to slow to a halt when he realized what he was seeing.  
  
"Wait... Robin? Aqualad, Kid Flash?" Guardian stuttered, staring at the three teen heroes. They were accompanied by a fourth teenager he didn't recognize, a girl in what looked like a makeshift burglar outfit.  
  
"Least he got your name right," Robin muttered to the speedster, earning him a look.  
  
"I know you..." Aqualad said slowly, taking the armored man before him in. "Guardian... A hero."  
  
Guarding gave a slight grin. "I do my best."  
  
"Then what are you doing here?" Kid Flash asked angrily.  
  
"I'm Chief of Security," the older hero explained, "and you're trespassing. But we can call the Justice League, figure this out."  
  
"Doubt it," the girl muttered, causing Guardian to frown. Her outfit may have been amateurish, but it did a good job of concealing her identity. The only distinguishing feature he could pick out were her dark blue eyes - he could've sworn her pupils were slitted like a cat's.  
  
"I'm... sorry, I don't recognize you. You're with them?"  
  
"Uh, yeah, kind of?" She shrugged a bit, tugging at her arm self-consciously. "I think these guys just want to make sure I don't go snooping around, fucking things up too much on my own, y'know?"  
  
"Language, young lady," Guardian admonished. He received an eye-roll in response.  
  
"But seriously," Kid Flash interjected, "do you think the League's gonna approve of you guys breeding weapons?"  
  
"Weapons? What do you-?"  
  
 _Static. A buzzing in his mind, his thoughts becoming frantic before stilling._  
  
"What have I..? Ugh." Guardian placed a hand to his head, trying to ward off one of his frequent headaches. "My head..." His eyes snapped back open, taking in the sight of the enemies before him.  
  
"Oh shit."  
  
"Take 'em down hard!" he ordered the G-Elves. "No mercy!" With a roar, they lunged forward, eager for blood.  
  


* * *

  
You know, between the Gorillaphants, Bug Jars, and now these discount Xenomorphs, I was starting to get real sick of genetically engineered animals.  
  
Robin reacted to the attack first, throwing down a smoke bomb before grappling out to one of the support beams. Aqualad and Kid Flash both moved away dealing with their own opponents, leaving me to defend against one of the Xenothingies. By myself. Joy.  
  
It threw itself at me, claws swiping letting out a screech like nails against chalkboard. Seriously, not an exaggeration, that's really what the thing sounded like. I jumped back, avoiding the claw swipes, before stepping forward and driving my fist into it's gut. To my surprise, the thing nearly folded in half around my arm before flying and smacking against the wall. _I thought Robin said these things were super-strong? Or was that one of the othe-_  
  
My train of thought was rapidly derailed when a large man shoulder-checked me out of nowhere, driving me back into a metal plate on the wall. _Right,_ I thought as I picked myself out, _in combat, stop thinking and fight_.  
  
Guardian ran towards me, throwing a right hook aimed at my head. I dodged to my right, calling up my flames as I sent a few jabs at the older "hero." He blocked them with a small shield on his left arm before sending a right jab of his own. I blocked it with my arm, only for him to ram the shield into my gut, causing the air in my lungs to _whoosh_ out as I struggled to find my balance. He took advantage of my distress to bring his shield up to my throat, pinning me against the wall. He reached back to punch me in the face...  
  
At which point my flame-coated legs shot up and landed right between his own.  
  
He made a strangled squeaking sound as he stumbled back, letting me drop onto my ass, and before he could recover, a pair of dark-skinned arms with glowing blue tattoos wrapped around him. I felt a pulse of magic before my hairs stood up on end as Aqualad shocked Guardian into unconsciousness.  
  
Dropping the armored man, the Atlantian walked over and held out a hand. "You okay?" he asked, silver eyes showing concern.  
  
"Yeah, no, I'm good, thanks." I took the proffered limb and let him help me to my feet. "Just... not used to fighting someone who's actually good at it, y'know?"  
  
"Indeed. Come, we have to move." Aqualad turned and began running after Kid Flash, and hearing more screeches behind me, I elected to follow.  
  
Alarms began blaring as we reached an elevator, which Robin was already hacking. Kid quickly ran up beside him. "Way to be a team player, _Rob_!"  
  
"Weren't you right behind me?" came his innocent reply. Before any of us could retort, the elevator doors opened, and we all scrambled inside. The doors closed behind us right before the Xenothingies got in themselves. A tense moment passed before I let out a sigh and leaned against a wall, trying to catch my breath.  
  
"Well," I said between gasps, "that was certainly exciting."  
  
"It's not over yet," Aqualad intoned. I looked up at him, then followed his gaze to the door number display. The numbers were changing as we moved - and not in a way I liked. "We're heading down?" he asked Robin incredulously.  
  
"Dude, out is up!" Kid piped in.  
  
"Excuse me? Project Kr? It's down, on Sub-Level 52," Robin replied with the air or an exasperated parent.  
  
"Do we really need to check it out, though?" I asked. "Don't you guys have enough info on this place to bring the League down on them like a cartoon anvil by now?"  
  
Aqualad shook his head, bringing up a hand to rub his scalp as he paced. "Ash is right. This is already beyond us. We need to contact the League."  
  
Further conversation was stopped by the _ding_ of the doors, which opened to reveal...  
  
"Oh, gross!" I gagged, the sight of the flash-covered hallway and the smell of bloody meat overwhelming me for a moment. "Ugh... I hate womb levels..."  
  
Robin dashed out into the room before anything else could be said. Kid Flash watched him for a moment, then turned to Aqualad and shrugged. "We are already here," he conceded, before running after the Boy Wonder. Aqualad and I shared a look before following, me still rubbing my scarf and trying to keep from violently ejecting my lunch.  
  
We caught up with the other two at an intersection, one with a lot of metal plating and science-y looking equipment scattered about, where they were crouching behind some metal barrels that someone had set on the floor. "Which way?" Aqualad asked them in a resigned tone.  
  
"Yeah," Robin answered, gesturing with one of his Batarangs. Or were they Birdarangs? "Bizarre looking hallway one, or bizarre looking hallway two?"  
  
"Hold!"  
  
We all looked over at the sound of a new voice. The speaker was a tall, thin, humanoid figure in medical scrubs, with large horns and two catfish-like whiskers. Before any of us could react, his eyes and horns started glowing red, and two barrels flew towards us, impacting the wall behind us before exploding.  
  
Seriously? What were these barrels filled with that could make them fucking explode?  
  
Robin threw one of his 'rangs at the guy, only for it to stop and fall out of midair and more barrels began to float upwards.  
  
"Bizarre looking hallway two it is!" I yelled. We all turned and ran down the hallway, outrunning more explosions for a moment before lapsing into quiet for a moment. My ears picked up the elevator _ding_ ing again, though, meaning were were likely to have more company soon.  
  
A moment later, w whirring sound rang out ahead of us. Robin, Aqualad, and I all ran around a corner to see Kid laying on the ground next to a scientist - did they trip over each other - and a slowly closing metal door. Kid picked himself up and managed to grab a metal case from a nearby stack lodging it into the door before it could close all the way. "Hurry!" he called out, waving us along.  
  
"We are!" I shot back, before jumping through the opening after Robin. Aqualad came last, and a moment later, he kicked the case out of the door, allowing it to seal us inside. Robin booted up his wrist computer and typed something into it. "I've disabled the door locks," he informed us. "We're safe."  
  
"We're trapped," Aqualad corrected.  
  
"Hey, look on the bright side!" I said, flinging my arms out wide. "Now we can all die together!"  
  
"Uh, guys?"" We all turned to look at Kid Flash, who was standing at some sort of control panel. "You might wanna see this..." He pressed a button, lighting up the room.. And revealing it's purpose to us.  
  
"Woah."  
  
I dumbly nodded at Robin's exclamation, staring at the pod marked with a Kr in front of us. There, resting within, was a teenage boy in a white super-suit, one with a very familiar symbol on the chest.  
  
Kid Flash walked up to him, looking at the mark on the pod itself. "Big K, little r... The atomic symbol for Krypton!"  
  
"Wait, these nut-jobs are trying to make their own Superman? That's... Why?" I asked.  
  
"Robin, hack," Aqualad ordered. The younger boy quickly plugged into the control console and, after a moment, began pulling up files.  
  
"Weapon Designation: Superboy," he read aloud. "A clone force-grown in... _16 weeks?!_ From DNA acquired from Superman."  
  
"Stolen from Superman," Aqualad said, eyes narrowing.  
  
I tuned the other three out as I walked up to the clone. His eyes were closed, as if he were sleeping. They were calling him... A weapon? That couldn't be right. To actually make a person, then simply refuse to allow them to live their own life... How morally bankrupt would one have to be? Weren't there laws against this kind of stuff, anyways?  
  
"We have to free him."  
  
The others looked up at me before I had even realized I said that out loud. I froze for a moment before swallowing and continuing. "This... This isn't right. We can't just leave him like this."  
  
They all stared at me for a moment. Just as I thought they were about to say no, Aqualad nodded. "Do it," he told Robin, who obeyed without question.  
  
I took a step back as the pod hissed open, steam pouring out from within. For a moment, all was still. Then the clone - Superboy - reached a hand out to his side and cracked his knuckles before curling it into a fist.  
  
I stepped back again. His eyes opened.  
  
Then he lunged, and I barely threw my arms up in time to keep his fist from cracking my skull open like a egg.  
  
 _On second thought, maybe this wasn't my best idea._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this, an even larger update to make up for my abysmally short last one? Blasphemy.
> 
> I admit, large parts of this chapter were copied from the actual episode, with just a few things changed by Ash's intervention. Don't worry, I don't plan on doing with for every chapter - and if it helps, you're definitely gonna start seeing butterflies next chapter.


	7. Arc 1 (Independence Day): Ash VS Superboy

**14:52 EST**  
  
For a moment, I was weightless. There was no up nor down, only the air, and myself.  
  
That feeling ended when I slammed against the wall. A sharp CRACK echoed through the chamber, thankfully not originating from my spine, and I slumped to the floor, groaning. I could hear the others yelling and charging Superboy, but my head was too busy imitating spin cycle to see how it was going.  
  
A few seconds later, the feeling passed, and I struggled to my feet, just in time to witness how poorly the fight was going.  
  
Kid Flash was already out cold, clear on the other side of the room. Robin was pinned under Superboy's foot, and Aqualad, like me, was getting to his feet. With a cry of "ENOUGH!", the dark-skinned Atlantean sprung forward, water collecting around his hilts into the shape of a giant hammer. The impact was enough to send the clone flying, hitting the slab of metal he'd been laying of so hard he dented it.  
  
I rushed over to Aqualads side as he tried to help Robin to his feet. The Boy Wonder wobbled for a moment, then fell back down, unconscious. We didn't have time to try and move him, though. Superboy had already stood up and was walking confidently towards us.  
  
"We are trying to help you!" Aqualad said sternly, raising his hand as if to halt the clone. Unfortunately, this seemed to piss him off more than anything. His eyes narrowed, then he sped forward and punched down. Aqualad and I jumped in opposite directions, dodging the blow, and the sidekick took advantage of the opening and tackled Superboy into the wall. He went for a punch of his own, only for the clone to catch in and throw him off.  
  
I backed up as the two fought, back into the center of the room. I wanted to help, but I couldn't see any openings where I wouldn't just be getting in Aqualad's way. So instead, I watched as Aqualad managed to get Superboy into a nelson hold, then activate his magical tattoos to deliver a powerful shock to his opponent. Superboy screamed out in pain for a moment, only to jump up and slam Aqualad's body against the ceiling. Once, then twice, and the hero slid off his back, landing unmoving on the ground.  
  
With his opponent nullified, Superboy turned to me, leaping forward to tackle me into the ground. I saw him coming, almost it was in sow motion, but I couldn't bring myself to move.  
  
 _He just took down three heroes. Three heroes with professional training. I can't beat him, I can't, I CAN'T-_  
  


* * *

  
**_"Remember, Ashley. You are not just a human. You are my daughter. You are a Dragon Slayer. And you are STRONG."_ **   
  


* * *

  
The memory of my father's voice passed through my mind in a split second, and when it ended, an inferno raged within me. Without thinking, I dropped to the ground, allowing Superboy to pass over me, and kicked both my legs up. Flames burst into existence as they connected, sending the clone hurtling through the air until he hit the wall on the far side of the chamber.  
  
I sprang to my feet, whirling to face my foe. _There's no time to think. Just act._ I dropped to one knee, braced my hands on the ground, and launched myself at Superboy, my magic flaring in a corona around me. He had barely any time to recover from his landing before my attack connected, its name ripping its way out from my throat.  
  
"FIRE DRAGON'S SWORD HORN!"  
  
Cracks formed across the wall as Superboy was forced deeper into his crater, but I gave him no time to rest. I pushed away from him, flames simmering in my palms, and I brought my hands together o combine them into a massive fireball. "FIRE DRAGON'S BRILLIANT FLAME!"  
  
This time, the wall didn't survive the attack, crumbling away to reveal another chamber of meat moss and mad science. I didn't stop to appreciate the architecture, racing forward to continue the fight. That was a powerful blast, and with luck it had managed to stun-  
  
PAIN  
  
I hit the floor hard enough to carve a small trench, my cheek throbbing from where Superboy's fist had connected with it. He jumped into the air and clasped his fists, but rather than let him finish the attack, I let the flames burn from my lungs, setting my mouth alight, before setting them free.  
  
"FIRE DRAGON'S _ROAR!_ "  
  
The lab burned as I pulled myself to my feet, looking around the room to see where he had landed. There, he stood himself, parts of his suit burned away from my attacks but hardly looking worse for wear himself. I bared my teeth at him, a predator's grin, then we dashed forward at the same time.  
  
"FIRE DRAGON'S SCALED FIST!" My burning arm met his own, a magic circle briefly shimmering into existence at the point of contact. He struck again and again, and I matched each blow with my own, coherent words replaced with a feral scream as we collided over and over. It was a stalemate, but not a sustainable one. He had the advantage in both strength and fortitude. Thankfully, I had a few tricks up my sleeve.  
  
When he next struck, I grabbed his wrist rather than returning the blow. He stumbled slightly, and I took the opening to plant my palm in his abdomen. Another magic circle flared, and flames erupted between us, pushing us away from each other. I had barely stopped moving before I dropped to the floor, swinging my legs in an arc around me as the flames trailed from my feet.  
  
"FIRE DRAGON'S TAIL LASH!" A rope of fire whipped its way across the chamber, carrying Superboy with it as he once again slammed into a wall. I launched myself into the air after him, gathering flames on my arms for a moment before slicing down at him. "FIRE DRAGON'S WING STRIKE!"  
  
He jumped, then, and the flames missed him again. Before I realized what was happening, a surprisingly large hand clamped over my face and tore me to the ground. I was just starting to process what had happened when it picked me up and slammed me through the wall I'd just beaten Superboy into.  
  
The next few... seconds? Minutes? Hours? Whichever, they were a bit of a blur to me. I'm fairly certain I got thrown through multiple walls during it, and there was pain. A lot of pain. On the bright side, I distinctly recall getting at least a few more good hits in myself. Ultimately, though, it was too much, and I finally came to a rest in a hallway with a strange bluish glow around us.  
  
Superboy stood over me, victorious, while I was barely capable of moving. He smirked at me, the first non-anger expression I'd seen in him, and cocked back his fist to finally punch my lights out. Only... he stopped. His face morphed into one of confusion as he looked at something... behind me.  
  
Groaning, I pulled myself into a slightly more upright sitting position and turned to see what he was looking at. It took me a bit to focus - I might have had a concussion after getting my head slammed into hard objects over a dozen times - but once I realized what he was staring at?  
  
My mouth fell open. "Oh, Oh, that's not good."  
  
... Maybe a bit of an under-reaction, but I wasn't exactly thinking straight. To be fair, though, I doubt even Kid or Robin would react better to this.  
  
After all, it's bad enough they cloned a Superboy once. Now? Now I was starting right into the sleeping face of a second one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My 2019 New Year's Resolution? To actually make progress on my fucking stories.
> 
> It's been a long time coming, and I definitely put this off a lot longer than I should have. I've never written a fight scene before, outside of a bit of online D&D, so I was nervous as to whether or not I would do it well, which caused me to procrastinate for... far too long. Did I succeed in making a good one? No clue, I'll let you guys judge.
> 
> I'll try to be a bit better at updating this in the future, I swear.
> 
> AO3 NOTE: Lol, 2019... Spoiler alert, that didn't happen!


	8. Arc 1 (Independence Day): AvS - Aftermath

**14:57 EST**  
  
Woozily, I pulled myself to my feet, my eyes flicking between Superboy and the other clone in the pod. Thankfully, Superboy didn't seem to notice or care that I was moving, still staring into the pod in confusion. Satisfied that he wouldn't attack me while my back was turned, I took a look around the room we'd ended up in.  
  
We'd obviously ended up going through a few ceilings as well during our fight. The meat-moss walls were gone, replaced with more conventional steel. All around us, tube-like pods glowed blue, providing most of the illumination for the floor. The second Superboy seemed to be the only human-ish clone here, and most of the pods were filled with Genomorph material of varying shapes and sizes.  
  
At least, I thought so until I glimpsed something a few rows away. Moving slowly, I limped past several pods until I reached one sitting towards what was probably the back of the room. This one held another clone... or was it a normal human? He looked young, no older than I was, with a head topped with short ginger hair. One of his arms was missing, bandages wrapped around a stump above where his elbow should be. There was something vaguely familiar about him, but nothing I could quite place.  
  
"This is so fucked up," I muttered to myself. Reaching down, I tapped on the red panel underneath the pod and brought up the information of its contents. "Roy Harper?" I read aloud. "Who is that?"  
  
"Someone they thought would be useful." I nearly jumped out of my skin, whirling around to find Superboy standing right behind me.  
  
"Jesus! Don't do that!"  
  
He cocked an eyebrow. "Do what?"  
  
"That..." I gestured to him vaguely, looking for the right words. "That sneaking-up thing! Wait, weren't we fighting?"  
  
"Yes," he replied, frowning intently. "I was instructed to disable any intruders in Cadmus should I be woken up early."  
  
I blinked and nodded. "Makes sense, but... Not that I'm complaining, but why aren't you attacking me anymore?"  
  
Superboy seemed to think for a moment before speaking. "I... I was told that I was to replace Superman should he perish, or destroy him should he turn from the Light. But I don't understand..." His head turned back, towards the other clone, and it clicked.  
  
"... Why there's two of you?" I ventured. A beat passed, and he nodded. "Well..." I fidgeted in place, trying to think of what to say. "... I have no clue. But given what else I've seen since I got here, it can't be good."  
  
Superboy turned back to me. "What do you mean?"  
  
I sighed and glanced back at Roy Harper in an attempt to collect my thoughts. _At least my headache's getting better..._ "They're making an army, and they haven't told anyone about it. They obviously don't seem to care about keeping them in one piece, either." I nodded at one of the other tubes, where a Genomorph arm floated in liquid. "It's... unethical. It's _wrong._ "  
  
"Cadmus has taught me, _gave_ me everything, though!" Shit, he was getting angry. "Language, how to read and write, what the sun and sky look like..."  
  
"And have you ever seen them?" I retorted. "Have they ever even let you out of that tube before?"  
  
He stayed silent. His eyes, a pale blue that burned with an unnatural intensity, bored into mine as we stared at each other. I could see anger in his stance, but... there was doubt, too. And whatever it was about, I'd bet that it was the other clone that had caused it. It was weird, seeing someone so much stronger than me looking so uncertain.  
  
Although... maybe he wasn't that much stronger. I hadn't noticed before, but his skin, showing through tears in his solar suit, had turned bright pink and puckered in several places, and I thought I saw a couple of small bruises forming as well. Had... had I actually hurt him? True, he still looked a lot less injured than I felt, but the fact I'd managed to hurt a fucking Kryptonian by myself made me feel inordinately proud of myself.  
  
 _Great, my pride, the only part of me that_ doesn't _feel like shit._  
  
After what seemed like hours, he broke the staring contest, directing his eyes at the floor. "... What do I do now, then?"  
  
"Uh..." My mouth opened and closed, doing its best fish impression as I tried to think of what to say to that. This day hadn't exactly gone as planned. "I guess... you could come with us?"  
  
"Us?"  
  
"Yeah, me and... OH FUCK I FORGOT ABOUT THE OTHERS!"  
  
Superboy actually took a step back at my exclamation, and he was treated to what was probably a very entertaining sight of me rushing over to the hole we'd made in the... floor, I guess... and dropping to my hands and knees before it. I didn't really have the mental capacity to care about that, though, as I was to busy caught between cursing myself out for forgetting about the others and gaping at the _trail of destruction_ the fight had left in our wake. Seriously, how did he end up destroying that much stuff.  
  
No, I needed to calm down. I took a deep breath and brought my hand up to run through my hair... and promptly began another freak-out upon realizing that neither my had nor my scarf were on my person anymore, leaving my face totally exposed. I must've lost them bother during the fight... No, wait, I used a Roar without taking my scarf off first, I probably burned it to ash, SHIT.  
  
"Are you..?" Superboy asked as he walked up behind me.  
  
"Yeah, just..." I waved at him weakly. "It's just been one of those days, y'know?"  
  
He just looked confused at that, so I pulled myself up to my feet again, trying to repress my oncoming mental-blue-screen-of-death as I changed the subject.  
  
"Okay, so, I need to get back to my... friends? No, we don't really know each other, but... Teammates, I need to get back to my teammates. Are they gonna be alright?"  
  
Superboy nodded. "I only went all-out against you, so they should be fine... Unless CADMUS got their hands on them while we were gone."  
  
"Fuck." I began pacing, working through my limp as my mind raced. "I can't leave without them, but I don't want to have to fight through waves of Genomorphs to do it... You probably could, but my everything hurts, so... I..."  
  
"Actually," Superboy interjected, an almost eager expression growing on his face, "if I'm going along with this anyway... I may have an idea."  
  
"... I'm not gonna like it, am I?"  
  
His smirk was all the answer I needed.


	9. Arc 1 (Independence Day): Interlude 1 - Aqualad

**Time Unknown**  
  
< _Wake up._ >  
  
Kaldur'ahm flinched as the words echoed in his mind, piercing through the miasma of unconsciousness. More words were being spoken a the edge of his awareness, but it was difficult to parse what was being said. His body was sore, almost screaming in protest. He took a breath, trying to center his thoughts.  
  
 _CADMUS, underground, genomorphs... Superboy._  
  
Now he remembered. They had found the clone and tried to free him, only to be attacked and beaten. And now... A small experimentall tug confirmed he was strapped up in something, unable to move. Now they were prisoners.  
  
But words were still being spoken nearby. Kaldur held still, leaving his eyes closed and breathing even, and he listened.  
  
"... are they secured yet?" This voice was male, speaking with an uncertain confidence. A leader, perhaps, unsure of new developments?  
  
"Yes." This second voice was also male, and it possessed and almost echo-like quality to it. It only took a moment for Kaldur to recognize it as the telekinetic genomorph that had attacked them earlier.  
  
"Good. you are dismissed."  
  
A pause, then the sound of footsteps against the floor, followed by the sound of sliding metal. A door, shutting behind him. After another short beat of silence, the first voice let out a sigh.  
  
"Well, this day has turned out to be a disaster."  
  
"I don't believe it was quite that bad," responded a new voice. This one was female, and spoke in a professional tone.  
  
"Of course _you_ don't!" The sound of footsteps began again, moving further away before returning as the speaker paced. "Three of the Justice League's sidekicks, plus and unknown fourth intruder, manage to infiltrate our lower levels and free the incomplete Kr weapon, who we still cannot locate, and cause massive damage to our facilities in the process!" Kaldur could almost hear the sneer in his next words. "But it's fine, because you're not the one that has to report all this to the Board of Directors!"  
  
"Calm down, Dr. Desmond," the female voice said. "We did manage to successfully capture the three sidekicks, after all. I'm sure the Board will have some use for them."  
  
The footsteps stopped, and Kaldur took the moment to open his eyes to take in his surroundings.  
  
He was suspended in some sort of pod, like the one they had found Superboy in, with his limbs restrained by metal clamps. The room beyond also seemed similar to where they had found him, though it was undamaged by any fight. Two humans in lab coats, CADMUS scientists, stood before his pod. One was a bespectacled man with long brown hair pulled into a low ponytail -- presumably Dr. Desmond -- while the other was a dark-skinned woman, also with glasses. Both had a genomorph upon their shoulders, and the woman held a clipboard. A quick glance to his right showed Kid Flash and Robin, restrained in their own pods and beginning to stir. There was no sign of Ash.  
  
"But we lost the clone!" Kaldur turned his attention back to Desmond as the spoke. "No matter how much use we can gain out of them, without the Superboy, the Board will have our heads!"  
  
"Ugh... you're so loud..."  
  
The two scientists turned with Kaldur to look at Kid Flash, who was shaking his head slightly as he blinked the sleep from his eyes. "Uh, what..? HEY!" He began to thrash around, and behind him, Kaldur could see Robin moving as well.  
  
"Now now, none of that," Desmond spoke, causing the two to focus their attention on him.  
  
"You! Let us go!" Kid Flash growled out. Desmond chuckled quietly in response.  
  
"I don't believe you are in any position to be making demands here."  
  
"Really?" Robin said with a smirk. "And what do you think the League will do when they realize we aren't coming back?"  
  
"That is for the board of Directors to decide," Desmond responded, before turning around. "And I suppose it is time to bite the bullet. Dr. Spence, keep an eye on these three until I return." He began walking away.  
  
"You won't get away with this," Kaldur warned him quietly. Desmond slowed, then turned to face him once more, no doubt to deliver some one-liner he thought witty. Before he could get a word out, however, the door hissed back open, drawing the attention to all the room's occupants.  
  
Kaldur felt his eyes widen as Superboy walked in. His bodysuit and torn apart, exposing reddened skin at several points across his body, but there was little pain in his posture. A figure clad in dark clothing was slung over one shoulder like a sack of rocks. He surveyed the room for a moment before tightening his grip and tossing the figure across the room. They landed at the base of the control center, drawing the attention of the three heroes.  
  
Ash, for it could be no one else, was in much worse shape than her captor. Her scarf and had were gone, allowing her shockingly red hair to spread across the floor beneath her. One of her eyes was darkening and swollen, and lines of dried blood ran down from her scalp. Kaldur could see several areas were her clothes were torn and bloodstained. Nothing that looked lethal, from what he could tall, but he was nonetheless relieved to see a slight rise and fall to her chest.  
  
"What did you do?!" Kid Flash exclaimed, glaring at Superboy as though he was the one that possessed heat vision. "Seriously? We try to help you and you turn on us? Beat her half to death?! You-!"  
  
"Kid!" Kaldur interrupted, earning a startled glance from his friend. "This is not the time."  
  
"Yes, well, this makes things much better," Desmond said as he looked between Ash and Superboy. "Now we have the clone back and the final intruder located. We still have a lot of damage to repair, but now I can salvage things with the Board. But first things first," he turned to Superboy, "we need to get you back in your pod."  
  
Superboy looked at him. "... No."  
  
Everyone in the room paused for a moment, blinking at him. Desmond recovered first, scowling as his voice took on an angry tone. "What do you mean, no?"  
  
"I mean, I won't let you stick me back in that pod," Superboy replied with equal vehemence, stepping forwards into Desmond's personal space and staring the man down. "Not if you're going to just lock me away, like you did to that other me!"  
  
"Other me- did you discover the prototype?" Desmond squawked as Kaldur's mind reeled. There was another Superboy? That... could not be good.  
  
"Is that what you'll do to me next?" Superboy said, stepping forward again and Desmond moved back to keep from being knocked over. "Lock me up somewhere out of sight?!"  
  
"If I may," Spence interjected, stepping forward. "Project Match was extremely volatile and uncontrollable, a danger to not only CADMUS, but himself as well. Keeping him on ice is the best solution for everyone."  
  
Superboy just scowled at her. "And let me guess, if I don't go back in by choice, I'll be 'volatile and uncontrollable' too?"  
  
"No," Desmond responded, "because you don't get a choice in the matter."  
  
The genomorph, as if on command, leaped off his shoulder and landed on Superboy, its horns taking on a red glow. For a moment, he stilled, eyes going blank, before they returned to focus. Superboy screamed, hands on his head as he stumbled back. "No... Get... GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"  
  
"Stop!" Kid Flash yelled, pulling at his restraints once again, all enmity with the clone forgotten. "Stop it, you're hurting him!" Kaldure and Robin began to struggle as well, unable to sit there and allow this torture to continue.  
  
"It's his own fault," Desmond scoffed, not even turning to face the heroes. "He picked a bad time to start _thinking._ " Kaldur could only watch as the genomorph's horns glowed brighter and brighter, Superboy's screams reaching a crescendo...  
  
And a blast of flames streaking across the room, slamming into the Genomorph before exploding and knocking it into to far wall.  
  
Superboy's screams died down, only to be almost instantly replaced with a hissing sound as the pods and clamps opened, dumping the three young heroes to the ground. Kaldur quickly rolled to his feet, ignoring the ache beneath his skin, and spared a moment to appreciate the shocked look in Desmond's face before turning to see the console.  
  
Ash stood in front of it, one hand on the buttons that had released them, the other stretched out towards Superboy, wisps of smoke still curling around her fingers. She held herself gingerly, making it clear that her injuries weren't just cosmetic, but her eyes remained mostly clear as she bared her teeth at Dr. Desmond.  
  
"Sorry, man... _but ya done goofed._ "


	10. Arc 1 (Independence Day): Escape

I savored the look on Mr. Mad Scientist's face. That open-jawed, slack expression was priceless. The fact that I had rendered him silent too was a bonus - he had sounded like a guy in love with his own voice. They got annoying after a while, if you defined "a while" as "the second they opened their mouths."  
  
But alas, all good things must come to an end. His face began to redden as he lifted a shaking finger to point at me. "You-!"  
  
WHAM  
  
Superboy's fist impacted the side of his head, and he collapsed bonelessly to the floor. I grinned down at his unconscious form. "Yeah. Me." Swinging my arm around, I let loose another small fireball at the other genomorph in the room, blasting it away and causing Ms. Mad Scientist to take several small steps backwards before falling on her ass.  
  
"You okay?" I asked Superboy, who was still clutching his head with one hand.  
  
"Yeah..." he responded. "I think so."  
  
"Okay, wait." I turned to see Kid Flash, who was looking between me and Superboy, a confused expression on his face. "What's going on? Is he on our side now? When did that happen?"  
  
"After we beat each other up. Don't you know nothing brings people closer together than punching the absolute shit out of each other?"  
  
Robin snorted at my comment, while Aqualad gave me a long look before nodding and turning to Superboy. "So," he said, "does that mean you'll help us return to the surface?"  
  
Superboy nodded in response, taking his hand off his head before looking Aqualad in the eye. "CADMUS... It's clear I can't stay here. They'd just use me until I failed them, then lock me up like they did to my bro-- like they did to Match."  
  
"Speaking of," Robing interrupted, stepping in front of a still visibly confused Kid Flash, "what exactly are we gonna do about him? We can't just leave him here."  
  
"Don't worry," I assured him, drawing all eyes to me. "We're getting that taken care of."  
  


* * *

  
  
_I fixed Superboy with an unimpressed look. "So, you want to use me as bait?"  
  
"No!" He waved his hands in denial. "Just to get past the doors. Then I can distract the scientists while you sneak over and free your friends!"  
  
"... I can't believe I'm agreeing to this," I sighed, shaking my head. I looked at Superboy again, then felt my eyes drifting behind him, to where Roy lay in his pod. "But what about them?" I asked, jerking my head towards the pod. Superboy turned to look too, frowning. "We can't exactly lug two giant pods around with us."  
  
He turned to look at me again, opening his mouth to speak--_  
  
_<_ I believe we can help with that. _>_  
  
_Only to flinch back as a voice sounded inside our heads. Well, inside my head, but I'm assuming her heard it too, given his reaction. We both looked around wildly for the source of the vice, but didn't see anyone.  
  
Eventually, I worked up the nerve to call out, "Wh-who's there?"_  
  
_<_ My name is Dubbilex, and I am the leader of the genomorphs. We don't have much time, so listen carefully... _>_  
  


* * *

  
  
"... So basically," Superboy finished, "the genomorphs want to be free too, and they'll help us escape if we promise to make sure that Desmond here gets removed from CADMUS."  
  
"And they'll take care of getting Match to the surface?" Aqualad questioned.  
  
"Him and the other kid we found there," I confirmed with a nod of my head. "And given all the guards and scientists use genomorphs to talk, we should be able to make it up unimpeded." I limped my way over to Desmond, reaching down to grab him. "But first, we gotta get this guy to his lab."  
  
"What? Why?" Kid Flashed zoomed over to me, helping pick the guy off the ground. "With everything we found in here, the courts are gonna bury him alive. Why would we need to take him to his lab?"  
  
I cocked an eyebrow. "Because Dubbilex says he's paranoid enough to lock it with a fingerprint scanner whenever he's not in the room itself, I don't like the concept of cutting off someone's hand, and do you really think a dirty scientist like Desmond doesn't have some kind of hidden superweapon in his personal lab that he lets no one else into?"  
  
Kid Flash and I looked at each other for a few seconds before he shook his head. "Well, when you put it like that... Basically every evil scientist I've encountered has exactly that."  
  
"Same here," Robin chirped as he eased in way into my spot under Desmond's shoulder, allowing me to lean back into Aqualad with a sigh of relief. "And given he was scared of these 'Board of Directors' guys so much, I doubt whatever's in there is something we want them to get their hands on."  
  
"Then it's settled." Aqualad draped one of my arms across his shoulders, taking pressure of my bad leg. "Superboy, you know this place better than us, and the genomorphs trust you. Lead they way."  
  


* * *

  
  
It took us longer than I would have liked, but we eventually made it to Desmond's lab on one of the highest sub-levels. True to his word, Dubbilex had kept any human patrols off us, and whatever genomorphs we encountered simply ignored our existence. With the only other person aware of our escape, Dr. Spence, tied up in the lower lab courtesy of Robin's toolbelt, we were almost home free.  
  
... I probably shouldn't have thought that, if the chill down my spine was any indication.  
  
Robin maneuvered Desmond's hand onto the scanner as Kid Flash swiped his clearance card through a slot on the doorframe. A second later, the locks disengaged, and Superboy opened the door. Dumping Desmond unceremoniously on the ground, the five of us walked in.  
  
Robin immediately went to the computers, plugging in his wrist computer as he hacked the encrypted files, while Kid Flash ran over to a... mini-fridge? Huh, I guess even Desmond got hungry while working. Leaving Kid to raid his food, Aqualad and I followed Superboy over to the main attraction. Several large tubes, all emblazoned with the number 13 and the words "Project Blockbuster."  
  
"He's helping a failing video store?" I wondered aloud as Superboy pressed a button, opening a tube to reveal several vials full of glowing blue liquid.  
  
"What do you mean?" Aqualad asked.  
  
"Blockbuster's a movie rental place, it's starting to... You know what, nevermind, it wasn't that funny in the first place."  
  
"Well," Superboy said, picking up one of the vials, "whatever this stuff is, it can't be good."  
  
"Let me see that," Robin piped up, making me jump a bit. How did he get behind us without me hearing him? "Batman's probably gonna want a sample... maybe two or three."  
  
Superboy handed the vial to him, reaching to grab a couple more. "And what about the rest of these?" He asked as Robin produced stoppers from... somewhere and plugged the vials up.  
  
"We should destroy them." Aqualad lowered me back onto two feet and moved forward, inputting the command to open the rest of the tubes. "Given the number, I doubt this is the only batch, but it is likely that these are still prototypes. Without this batch to work with, the Board should suffer setbacks in whatever plans for this they have."  
  
"So," Kid Flash asked through a mouthful of food, walking up behind us, "how are we gonna do that? We need to make sure they don't have any of it left to work with."  
  
"... Well, since you're asking nicely, I'll do it," I offered with a cheeky grin. Superboy and Aqualad both turned to me, probably to tell me to step back and relax and let the big boys handle it or whatever. Before either could say anything, though, Superboy noticed the flames gathering in my palms and made the intelligent decision to back off, an act that Robin and Aqualad mirrored seconds later. Even Kid Flash moved back a bit, looking at my hands nervously.  
  
Taking a deep breath, I brought my hands together above my head, letting the flames pool together as they grew in intensity. "Fire Dragon's..." A moment passed, then I swung down, opening my palms towards the project. "BRILLIANT FLAME!"  
  
The explosion was just short of deafening as the unknown chemical was immolated. By the time the light had faded and the others had put down their guarded arms, there was nothing left but twisted chunks of cherry-red metal, with not a single drop of Blockbuster left.  
  
"... I question the wisdom of using open flames on an unknown chemical," Aqualad said sharply, making me wince, "but that worked out quite nicely."  
  
"Yep!" Robin said, grinning as he held the last three vials aloft. "Now, let's get out of here."  
  
"... you... YOU!!!"  
  
A brown-and white blur rushed into the room, slamming into Robin before any of us could react. Well, Kid Flash might have been able to if he wasn't recovering from chocking. Don't eat food around explosions, kids. We all snapped out of it after a moment, but by then, Robin had already kicked his assailant off of him, causing him to stumble away.  
  
Desmond did not look good. His hair had come undone from his ponytail, and his glasses were missing, revealing the wild, hate-filled look he affixed each of us with in turn. "You brats... You ruined everything! I'm as good as dead now! Do you even realize the extent of what you've done?!"  
  
"Dr. Desmond, calm down," Aqualad said calmly, raising his hand as if to grab the doctor. "I understand that the Board scares you, that they've made you desperate. But if you come with us to the League, perhaps we could help."  
  
"By sending me to prison?! No, no, I'm doomed either way." He began to chuckle, then, setting us all on edge. "But if's I'm going down no matter what..."  
  
He held up his hand, the blue chemical in the vial he clutch reflecting in a mad glint off his eye. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Robin look down, shocked and only just realizing he now only held two vials.  
  
"I'M TAKING YOU ALL DOWN WITH ME!!!"  
  
Desmand popped the stopper out and, before any of us even thought to stop him, drained the vial in a single gulp.


	11. Arc 1 (Independence Day): The Team VS Blockbuster

We all took a step back as Desmond's body began to painfully contort, bones cracking and popping. He fell to the ground, muscles spasming. His lab coat tore and exploded off as he started to grow. His pained groans deepened in tone, transforming into an inhuman sound, and when he looked up at us, his eyes had turned into glowing red dots resting within black holes. And after that...  
  
"Oh god, his skin's melting off!" I exclaimed nauseously, stumbling away from that... thing Desmond was becoming. His growth was rapidly accelerating, with whatever was replacing his flesh turning a nasty-looking blue color. My stomach was churning just watching this. Watching him throw away his humanity like that, putting himself through hell just for a chance to... to kill us... God. If I'd had anything left in my stomach, I probably would have vomited then and there.  
  
With a roar, Desmond - no, he wasn't Desmond anymore. Blockbuster stood, the remnants of his shirt and skin sloughing off his hulking frame. His maw stretched into a shark-like grin and he leaped forward, one hand curling into a giant fist as he made to strike us down.  
  
Superboy was faster.  
  
He jumped forward, his own fist striking Blockbuster across the face in a vicious parry. Blockbuster reeled away, allowing Superboy to follow through with a second hit, then a third, then a fourth, before retaliating with a blow of his own. Superboy went flying, striking the far wall with more force than he had at any point in our fight, though the reinforced walls meant he only left a large dent.  
  
At that point, the rest of us had recovered our wits enough to move as Blockbuster turned his attention to us. Aqualad and Kid Flash juked left, Robin moved right, and I jumped back to where Superboy had landed and was now getting to his feet.  
  
"You okay?" I asked him, worried. If this thing was that strong...  
  
"I'll be fine," Superboy growled, "once I pound him into the wall!"  
  
I bit my tongue to keep myself from responding to that with 'Phrasing!' and focused once again on Blockbuster, who bore down on us faster than I thought was possible. Superboy and I rolled to either side to avoid his blow before he lunged and Blockbuster's torso and I summoned flames to the tips of my fingers, clawing at the meaty blue wrist. Blockbuster roared in pain and moved away, only to have his momentum arrested as several batarangs exploded against his back.  
  
"It's too crowded in here!" I heard Aqualad shout. "We need to move this fight to a more open area before he collapses the roof on us!"  
  
"Running away? Sounds good to me!" Kid Flash blurred, running around to Robin and grabbing him before booking it out of the lab, Aqualad close behind him. I made to follow their example before I realized that Superboy was still advancing on Blockbuster.  
  
"Oh, for the love of... SUPERBOY, MOVE YOUR ASS!" I screamed at him.  
  
"NO!" He bobbed and weaved around relentless attacks. "I can beat this thing! I'm not running!"  
  
His refusal to retreat was thankfully ended when another blow connected, sending him hurtling towards the door. Rather than look a gift horse in the mouth, I ran over, grabbed him before he could stand, and hefted him over my head, ignoring the protests my limbs screamed at me.  
  
"Wait, don't you dare-!"  
  
"FIRE DRAGON'S HUMAN JAVELIN!" With a heave, I launched Superboy down the hallway, a few hundred pounds of screaming, burning Kryptonian rocketing through the air. I followed him moments later, letting jets of flames erupt from my palms to increase my speed as much as possible. I needed every bit of it, too, seeing as Blockbuster was practically on my ass the entire way. Once I reached where Superboy had crashed, I stopped just long enough to grab him and pull him to his feet before taking off again, dragging him behind me.  
  
"What was that?! I could have taken him!" Superboy yelled as we ran.  
  
"Yeah, and gotten yourself buried alive, you asshat!" I snapped back at him, my anger at this whole crazy night finally boiling over. "Are you suicidal?!"  
  
Superboy growled at that but stopped trying to pull away. Which was good, because Blockbuster did not look happy, the way he was bellowing as he tried to catch up.  
  
"Ash, Superboy!"  
  
I started at the voice, but quickly recognized Aqualad standing halfway through a door frame, waving at us. Superboy and I ran up to him, following him through the door to a flight of stairs that he began to climb.  
  
"Alright then," Superboy breathed out, tightening his grip on my hand. I had just enough time to realize what he was planning before he jumped, taking the two of us up into the air, faster and faster...  
  
Until we slowed down and began to fall.  
  
"Shit!" I twisted my body midair, reaching my hand out to grab onto something, anything. Thankfully, it closed over a metal bar, arresting our momentum with a jerk. We hung there, breathing heavily for a moment before I scowled and looked down at him. "What the hell was that?!"  
  
My anger died as I took in his features. His eyes were open wide, scared. "I... I can't fly?" he asked in a quiet voice. I could almost feel my heart break as he said that. He sounded so... confused. Confused and utterly lost.  
  
The moment ended when the door below us shattered, Blockbuster's enraged screams echoing up to us. "Existential crisis later," I yelled, swinging Superboy up onto the stairwell before flipping myself up as well. "Running now!"  
  
The two of us took off, sprinting up the stairs as if our lives depended on it. Which, really, they did. It didn't take long before we reached the top. We ran through the door, down yet another hallway until we rounded a corner to see Robin and Fid Flash standing there, the latter taking deep breaths as he rested his hands on his knees.  
  
"Were's Aqualad?" Robin asked as we slowed to a halt.  
  
"Behind us somewhere?" I answered between gasps. My heart was beating like a jackhammer, and my clothes were soaked in sweat. "We passed him on the stairs. But Blockbuster followed us."  
  
"Blockbuster?" The other three asked in unison. I couldn't help but let out a quiet chuckle as they all looked at each other, bewildered expressions on their faces.  
  
"Yeah, I don't think 'Desmond' really fits him anymore. He's Blockbuster now."  
  
"O-kay then," Robin said, nodding. "Anyways, we've got a problem."  
  
"Don't we always?" Aqualad asked, rounding the corner. "Desmond is trapped on the stairs, but I do not know how long they will hold him."  
  
"Good to know. Anyways..." Robin tapped something into his wrist computer, bringing up a blue hologram, a floor plan, by the looks of it. "It looks like the only areas nearby with enough space to risk fighting Desmond, or should I say Blockbuster," he nodded at me, " are up on the ground floor right above us. But the genomorphs are using the elevator to get the pods up there, and we don't know how much longer they're going to be."  
  
"Well, can't we just fight him here?" Superboy asked, gesturing at the admittedly wide hallway around us.  
  
"... Maybe," Aqualad acknowledged, "but we shouldn't risk it unless we have to. I am... not sure how we are going to defeat him."  
  
I groaned, rubbing the heel of my palm into my forehead. "Too bad we can't just drop the ceiling on him."  
  
When no one responded after a minute, I looked up to see Aqualad and Robin looking at each other thoughtfully. "... Or can we?" the former asked.  
  
"We could!" Robin brought up the floorplan for the CADMUS entrance. "It looks like these six pillars here in the atrium are structurally important. If we collapsed them, the above floors would fall into the center here, while the area right outside the pillars would be relatively safe if the rest of the building collapsed as well."  
  
"Sounds like a plan," Kid Flash said, "but we still don't have a way to get up there!"  
  
We all looked at each other for a moment, trying to think of a way up. Before we could come up with anything, though, there was a crash and the screeching on metal from behind us. We whirled around, backing away from the corner, as Blockbuster came back into view, his red eyes narrowed with hatred. We could barely react before he released a sudden burst of speed, wrapping one hand around Superboy and the other around me. Then he jumped, carrying the two of us up two and through the ceiling.  
  
It took a moment for me to return to my senses, but once I did, I recognized the room I was in. The CADMUS entrance hall, just where we needed to go. I picked myself up from where I was slumped against the wall - did that fucker throw me? - and moved to stand next to Superboy, who was staring Blockbuster down. There was a bit of movement from behind us, and then we were flanked by Robin, Aqualad, and Kid Flash.  
  
An eternal moment passed as we stared at each other. A monster facing down a group of heroes. Despite my pain and mounting exhaustion, I could feel my excitement grow. This, right here? Standing beside real heroes, people I had grown up hearing about, fighting the good fight beside them? It was like a dream come true. This was where I'd always wanted to be.  
  
Then the moment ended, and as one, we moved.  
  
Kid Flash sprinted forward, looping around the back of Blockbuster as Robin threw Batarangs in the monster's face, blinding him. Aqualad, Superboy, and I all rushed forward, snapping our fists up and driving them full-force into Blockbuster's face, sending him careening backward over Kid Flash's body.  
  
"Learned that one in Kindergarten," he quipped as he moved, allowing Aqualad to snag one of Blockbuster's arms with a water whip. He reeled the arm back, drawing Aqualad closer to him, but leaving him wide open. I took advantage, dropping a burning kick into his stomach and drawing a wheezing cough. Superboy went in low, wrapping his arms around Blockbuster's torso and spinning, building up momentum before throwing him into one of the pillars, shattering it.  
  
I took a moment to glance back at Robin. He had taken out a piece of chalk and drawn a large X on the ground. I understood instantly what it meant - that's where Blockbuster needed to be when the building collapsed. Now we just had to get him there.  
  
With an ear-splitting howl, Blockbuster charged forward, ramming his fist into Superboy's face and sending him crashing into another pillar. I ran forward to try and intercept him, only to get grabbed by a colossal hand and slammed into Aqualad, sending us both flying back. I picked myself up off him with a groan, glancing back at Superboy - oh, he's getting his face punched into another pillar, that's nice - before turning and launching a fireball into a third pillar, blowing off more than half of it.  
  
That's when an idea popped into my head. I reached down and helped Aqualad up. "I think I can hit him hard enough to stun him if you guys can get him where he needs to be," I said quickly. "I just to get up high."  
  
Aqualad nodded. "Then we will get him into position. Good luck."  
  
"Same to you."  
  
Aqualad drew his waterbearers and charged as I turned from the fight. Walking over to the pillar I'd hit, I jumped and grabbed on, digging my fingers into the stone. I shimmied up the pillar as the fight raged on beneath me, and soon I'd made my way onto the railings lining the atrium. Glancing down, I saw that the last of the skin on Blockbuster's face and been ripped off, which seemed to make him even angrier, not to mention uglier. Explosive Batarangs were blinking in the still-whole pillars, Aqualad was coating the floor with water as the behemoth charged him, and Kid Flash was running up behind him. Okay, go time.  
  
Bracing my feet against the railing, I watched as Kid ran into Blockbuster, tripping him and causing him to slide into the center of the room, right over the X, where Superboy stopped him. With a growl, Blockbuster made to get up.  
  
I launched myself off the railing, a small explosion helping me gain height as I rose, up, up, up to nearly the top of the atrium. As I reached the apex of my arc, I summons flames, burning as hot as I could manage, around the entirety of my good leg. Then, as I began to fall, I angle my body and began to spin. My leg, outstretched, transformed into a burning vertical ring as I accelerated, flying through the air towards to ground - towards Blockbuster.  
  
"FIRE DRAGON'S..!"  
  
Blockbuster looked up just in time for my heel to connect with his skull, right between his eyes.  
  
" _GUILLOTINE!!!_ "  
  
The shockwave emanating from the point of contact drove Blockbuster's head into the ground, hard enough to send chunks of concrete flying everywhere, and sent me flying back. I landed against the wall, cracking it, and slid down. I crumpled to my knees the moment I hit the ground, my bum leg and aching foot refusing to support me anymore.  
  
"Ash!" Superboy bounded up to me, grabbing me and flinging me onto his shoulders. "Come on, we have to move!"  
  
I went limp, letting him carry me back to the others as a beeping noise I hadn't even notice suddenly quickened its pace. I got one last look at Blockbuster, struggling to stand, his eyes unfocused and movements sluggish.  
  
Then three explosions went off, and the building around us fell.  
  


* * *

  
  
"Ash... Ash, wake up!"  
  
"Ugh... Five more minutes, Atlas..."  
  
"What? Ash, are you okay?"  
  
"Nngh..." I opened my eyes squinting to make out the blurs before me. Four silhouettes, all male... Red, red, yellow, and white...  
  
Aqualad, Robin, Kid Flash, and Superboy came into focus.  
  
"Did we win?" The sentence slipped out before I had even finished processing the scene before me. It seemed to relax the others, though, with even Superboy managing a small smile at that.  
  
"Yes, Ash," Aqualad said warmly. "We did."  
  
"And it was totally awesome!" Kid Flash exclaimed, high-fiving Robin and making them both wince in pain.  
  
Groaning, I sat up, taking in the rest of the scene. We were sitting in the rubble of what had once been the CADMUS building. Night had fallen at some point, and the soft moonbeams illuminated everything. "How long was I out?"  
  
"Only about a minute," Robin responded. "Still, how'd you enjoy your first outing with official superheroes?"  
  
"It was exciting." I grinned. "Maybe a bit too much. Is it always this... painful?"  
  
"Eh..." Kid Flash shrugged. "Only on the fun days."  
  
"Joy..."  
  
Rubble shifted behind us. Everyone who wasn't me shot to their feet, ready to fight. But instead of Blockbuster, what emerged was a G-Troll, looking at was with what appeared to be disapproval written across its face.  
  
Aqualad blinked. "You were... one of the ones bringing pods up to us, correct?"  
  
It nodded in response, then reached under it to pull out the two pods Superboy and I had found. Its occupants were still safe and asleep, both Match and--  
  
"Roy?"  
  
I blinked and looked at Kid Flash, who wore an expression of shock. "Wait, you know him?"  
  
Robin nodded. "That's..."  
  
"Speedy," Aqualad finished, his eyes narrowed.  
  
I gaped at him, but before I could do much else, a flash of movement caught my eye. I turned to see... something, coming at us from the direction of the moon. Something human-sized, wearing all blue, and a cape fluttering in the wind...  
  
My eyes nearly popped out of their skull as Superman himself descended towards us.  
  
He wasn't alone, either. More superheroes followed him, landing around us one after another. Captain Marvel, Red Tornado, Zatara, Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman... It wasn't long before the entire Justice League surrounded us.  
  
Batman was one of the last arrivals, stepping off a platform one of the Green Lanterns had summoned. His eyed, concealed by his cowl, swept over us. I saw them narrow as he noticed Superboy, his gaze darken as he looked at me, then he stilled entirely as he saw the two pods the G-Troll was standing over.  
  
I slumped back against the wall. Looks like my day wasn't over just yet.


	12. Arc 1 (Independence Day): Questions

_Rap tap tap tap. Rap tap tap tap. Rap tap tap tap._  
  
My fingers drummed a rhythm against the cool metal surface of the table. My legs twitched underneath, and my eyes traced non-existent patterns in the ceiling.  
  
I had never dealt well with boredom. It was... difficult for me to stay still for long periods of time. I much preferred it when I could get up and move, be able to do something, _anything_ , even it is was just pacing around a room. Of course, that wasn't exactly an option for me right now. My legs were still to sore to properly support my weight. So all I could do was sit there and wait my turn.  
  
After the Justice League had shown up, the boys had given a short summary of what had occurred within CADMUS while I rested. It was a bit concerning for me to learn that Aqualad, Kid Flash, and Robin had actually disobeyed League orders to go investigate CADMUS, but an impromptu speech from the four of them about putting their training to proper use or something had seemingly forestalled any real punishment from being dealt out. After that, the three sidekicks had been taken back home by their mentors, while Superboy and I were bundled up by the rest of the League, along with the two pods. and taken to the Hall of Justice. They were still trying to figure out what to do with Superboy. Superman had... not taken the news that he had two clones well.  
  
As for me? Well, I sat in their medical bay for a couple of hours, getting patched up by futuristic machines, before being taken to an interview room and left to wait. I guess that having me as an unknown factor in all this made them a bit suspicious, so I was told that when Batman returned, I'd be answering some questions.  
  
Which didn't mean I was being treated poorly, by any means. No, Captain Marvel, the hero that had been leading me, had been nothing but kind and... energetic. He'd checked in on me every few minutes, to make sure I was doing okay. Hell, I'd mentioned that I was a bit hungry as he was leaving the room one time, and he'd brought me a plate full of cookies and a glass of water, both of which had been cleaned off and were now sitting off to one side of the table. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that I might be in a lot of trouble.  
  
As I was pondering the events of the night, the door opened once more. I looked up and saw, rather than Marvel's grinning face, a tight frown under a hooded cowl. What honestly surprised me, though, was when Batman quickly stepped out of the way to allow Wonder Woman in the room as well. They both took a long look at me as the door shut behind them.  
  
"... How much trouble am I in?" I blurted out after a few seconds.  
  
"At the moment?" Batman asked as he stalked forward, stopping before the table with Wonder Woman at his right. "None. Whether or not that changes will depend on how you answer our questions. But before we begin, we have a request."  
  
I gulped. "What is it?"  
  
"It's simple, really," Wonder Woman assured me. She reached down to her hip and grabbed the length of golden rope resting there. "We were hoping you would be willing to allow us the use of the Lasso of Truth."  
  
Batman must have noticed the look on my face when she said that. "We won't force you. But the faster we get this over with, the sooner you can go home."  
  
"And we won't tie you up, either. Tying a loop around your hand would suffice."  
  
I glanced between the two of them, unsure of how to respond. I could see where they were coming from with this request, I really could. But I'd heard a few stories about people that were under the Lasso, accidentally spilling their deepest secrets to the world. I... really didn't want that. "What kinds of questions are you gonna ask me?" I eventually replied.  
  
Batman narrowed his eyes. "The events of tonight and your involvement in them. We may have other questions as well, but we won't use the Lasso for them."  
  
I bit my lip, hesitating, and Wonder Woman sighed. "Ash," she said, "if you want to say no, we understand. It's a fairly big commitment. But if we can verify you're telling the truth, this will be a lot easier on everyone."  
  
"... Okay, fine." I nodded to myself. "I'll do it."  
  
"Thank you." I held out my hand, and Wonder Woman wrapped the Lasso around it. Tying it off, she tightened her grip on the handle, allowing a golden glow to suffuse the rope. I shivered as a wave of unfamiliar magic coursed through my body.  
  
"Now, let's begin." Batman looked down on me. "What brought you to CADMUS yesterday?"  
  
"The smell of smoke." I rubbed at my wrist. "I was a few blocks away at the time when I smelled it, and I came running. When I saw it was on fire, I... well, I wanted to help."  
  
"You're a pyrokinetic. I'm assuming you are capable of using your powers to help quench the fire, then?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Hmm." Batman reached into his cape and pulled out a file. "Are you the same pyrokinetic that has been making rounds in Metropolis, around Suicide Slums?"  
  
"... Pyromancer, actually," I confessed, one hand reaching up to rub the back of my head sheepishly. "How long have you known about me?"  
  
"A while," Wonder Woman responded, giving me a soft smile. "Superman expressed a bit of interest in bringing you in to talk before. Of course, we didn't realize you were her until Batman ran your face and found some school records."  
  
"What were you doing in Washington D.C.?" Batman asked before I could respond to her.  
  
"I wanted to get out of the house for the weekend," I answered with a shrug. "I'd had a bit of money saved up, so I caught a bus ride to D.C. and got a motel room."  
  
Batman looked at me for a moment before nodding. "I have a few questions about what your home life is like, but now is not the time. Moving on..."  
  
The two of them took a bit of time quizzing me on what exactly had gone down at CADMUS, and I answered them to the best of my ability. I think the Lasso may have actually helped out a bit, keeping me from making any mistakes during the review by guiding my tongue subtly, making sure I recounted the events as truthfully as possible. Eventually, the questions dwindled, and Wonder Woman removed the Lasso from my hand as I relaxed back in the chair.  
  
"I think that about covers it, don't you?" she asked, turning to look at Batman.  
  
"No."  
  
I blinked at that. "No? Is there something else you want to ask me, s-sir?" _Oh god, did I actually just call Batman 'sir?' What the hell is wrong with me?_  
  
"... I'm sure you heard the speech that Aqualad, Kid Flash, Robin, and Superboy gave us tonight, even if you didn't participate in it yourself," he stated. "And we are aware of your activities in Metropolis. Would I be correct in assuming that you hold similar sentiments to them, about using your abilities to help people, even if it meant going behind the League's back to do so?"  
  
I looked at him silently for a moment. "I feel like answering that may be a mistake, but..." I glanced over at Wonder Woman before returning my gaze to Batman. "... Yeah. I mean... I want to be a hero. I've got these powers, and I want to use them to help people. If you guys told me not to do it... I'd probably do it anyway?" Batman's gaze seemed to darken at that, and despite logically knowing that I probably physically outclassed him in several ways, I felt myself shrinking into my seat with a squeak. "Ohmygodpleasedon'thurtme..."  
  
"In that case, would you like to join them?"  
  
"... Eh?" I froze, trying to process what he had just said. "Wha... What do you mean by that?"  
  
Wonder Woman cleared her throat. "For a while, the League has been talking about forming a team for younger superheroes. The exact purpose hasn't been decided at this point, but you would be working together with those four and possibly others, getting training from us, and possibly even being sent out on missions - albeit relatively low-risk ones. Once the team had been properly established, there would be minimal oversight from the League."  
  
"In addition," Batman added, flicking through my file, "we are going to be converting an old League base to serve as this team's headquarters. It is likely that Superboy will end up living on site, and given your track record with foster homes up until this point, we would be willing to extend a similar offer to you. Ideally, though, members of this team would have a patron on the League to help train them in their spare time as well."  
  
"Which is where I come in." I nearly gave myself whiplash turning to look at Wonder Woman, my eyes wide. She didn't mean..? "If you accept, I would like to formally extend an offer to take you on as an apprentice." She grinned, no doubt enjoying the gobsmacked expression my face probably held. "If I'm being honest, that's the real reason I requested sitting in on your interview. You're not very experienced, but you're strong and you have a good heart. I would be happy to work alongside you."  
  
"... I..." I shook my head, thoughts racing a mile a minute. "I don't know what to say... It's a bit much to throw at a girl all at once."  
  
"Take some time to think about it," Batman said, walking to the other end of the room and opening the door. "Superman has offered to drop you off at your house, now that he's returned."  
  
"Avoiding Superboy?" The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them.  
  
"And Match," Wonder Woman added, frowning. "We're going to have to talk to him about it... This night has brought a lot of potential issues to our attention."  
  
Batman said nothing but looked at me pointedly. With I sigh, I pushed myself to my feet, wobbling slightly. Thankfully, I was feeling good enough to walk now. "Batman, Wonder Woman... thank you for the offer... I promise I'll think about it."  
  
"And thank you for being cooperative," Wonder Woman replied, her smile returning. I managed to give her one of my own before I walked to the door.  
  


* * *

  
  
The doorbell woke Agatha Black from where she was sleeping in her chair. Grumbling, she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and looked at the clock. Nearly three in the morning... Who in the world could be at the door at this time of the morning?  
  
Shaking her head, she stood up, glancing back at the door to the older kids' room. Ashley... the darn fool girl still hadn't come home. Agatha was starting to get worried. Sure, the girl was tougher than the average bank vault, but in a world where gods walked among men, there was always the risk that she'd bite off more than she could chew. Not that she seemed to care, ignoring the rules Agatha had tried to set down to go out and beat up criminals. Teenage recklessness, the older woman reflected, was even worse when they really _were_ nigh-invincible.  
  
Agatha made her way over to the door, praying she wasn't about to find some officer there to give her the worst news. Pulling the deadbolt, she swung open the door, thinking she was ready for whatever was on the other side.  
  
 _Though apparently,_ she thought as she looked up into the face of the Man of Steel himself, _one can't possibly be prepared for_ everything _._  
  
"Ms. Black?" Superman asked, smiling. "May we come in?"  
  
"We?" Agatha looked behind Superman to see a familiar red shock of hair. Ashley was standing behind him, holding her old battered suitcase and looking like she's lost a fight with a bear, but still managing a slightly nervous grin.  
  
Superman nodded. "We have a lot to talk about."


	13. Arc 1 (Independence Day): Interlude 2 - Various

**The Watchtower**  
  
Green Arrow, or Oliver Queen to his friends, was not an angry man.  
  
Sure, he knew that he had some issues. One couldn't be trapped on a deserted island with only the local international drug smugglers for company for months on end without developing a few. But anger had never really been a major one. It was a large part of why he had been invited to join the League in the first place - for all his faults, he was one of the more grounded, down-to-earth heroes out there. His relatively calm demeanor had made him a moral anchor for some of the more... _outspoken_ members of the League and his lack of metahuman abilities had made him endearing to the public eye, more so than Batman could ever be.  
  
Yes, under normal circumstances, Green Arrow was not quick to anger.  
  
These were not normal circumstances.  
  
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Green Arrow slammed his palms onto the table, glaring directly at an unfazed Batman.  
  
"Ollie," Black Canary pleaded, tugging at his sleeve, "please, you half to calm down."  
  
"I will not 'calm down'!" Arrow stood up, pacing back and forth as he swept his gaze across the assembled League members, sans Superman. "We find out my sidekick has been kidnapped, his arm amputated, cloned, and kept in a coma? And that clone is likely a mole sent to spy on us? And your solution to this is, is..!"  
  
Batman's stern gaze bored into him. "Is to take a hands-off approach, yes."  
  
"That's bullshit! Why the hell aren't we tracking down Ro-- the clone right now?"  
  
"Green Arrow, sit down," Batman growled out. "Give us a chance to explain our decision."  
  
Arrow scoffed, but returned to his seat, folding his arms. "Alright then, what is it?"  
  
"To start, there is the fact that you are the only member of the League to have had contact with the real Roy Harper."  
  
Arrow paused, his mind replaying what Batman had just said. "What do you..?"  
  
"Ollie." He turned to look at Black Canary, who was wearing a somber expression. "The Roy we found in CADMUS, the real Roy... He's less than a year older than he was when you took him on as Speedy." She bit her lip. "I... We think they took him back when he was just starting out when you weren't familiar enough with him to notice the switch."  
  
"That..." Arrow shook his head. Had he really failed Roy that badly? "But what does that have to do with..?"  
  
"The next fact," Batman interrupted, "is that Speedy was not the only clone made." He opened the holographic viewing screen, showing an armored figure in blue and gold. "Jim Harper, AKA Guardian, was working for CADMUS under telepathic control. A DNA test, administered as soon as we had cleared his mind of telepathic tampering, shows that he was also likely cloned from Roy and matured at an accelerated speed. What is more concerning, though, was that his memories had been thoroughly altered. As far as he was concerned, he truly was Roy's uncle."  
  
A silence filled the air for a moment, before being broken when Arrow leaned forward. "Wait, does that mean that Speedy..?"  
  
"Was also implanted with false memories of Roy's life?" Martian Manhunter nodded. "I would have to check myself to be absolutely certain, but it seems likely, given what we know."  
  
Arrow drummed his fingers against the table. "I still don't see why we're not bringing him in."  
  
Batman nodded. "Which brings us to the third reason." The image of Guardian disappeared, replaced by files, videos, and images of Green Arrow and Speedy over the years, fighting side by side. "Speedy has, for the most part, acted as a model hero-in-training. If he truly has been working against us the entire time, then he has been far more subtle than we can catch."  
  
"However," Manhunter said, continuing where Batman left off, "while I never probed deep enough to uncover any falsified memories, I have touched his mind before. I have never encountered any evidence to suggest he truly harbors the League ill will."  
  
Wonder Woman spoke up then. "Based on what we know, it seems unlikely that he's been actively working to undermine us in any way. But when we were going through his patterns of behavior, I noticed something... a bit distressing."  
  
"Specifically," Batman said, turning to face Arrow fully, "his behavior yesterday afternoon."  
  
Arrow blinked, confused. "You don't mean his outburst? Sure, it was unexpected..."  
  
"But," Batman said, interrupting him, "if we looked at it with the knowledge we know now, coupled with similar behaviors he's displayed in the past..." He typed something into the computer, pulling up a new file. Arrow's eyes narrowed as he recognized it as a file from his personal computer. "It becomes clear that he has desired access to the Watchtower ever since he was informed of its existence."  
  
Batman folded his hands together. "Our current theory is that he is being subconsciously influenced, possibly through the use of psychic triggers, similar to Guardian. And given his insistence on being given access to the Watchtower, bringing him here is the last thing we want to do."  
  
Arrow slumped in his chair, reaching a hand up to rub his face. "Okay, I think I get it," he said in a small, defeated tone. "But can't we go to him rather than bringing him here?"  
  
"We could," Manhunter acknowledged, "but as we don't know what these psychic triggers might be, we have no way of knowing how we would react to discovering the truth or having me delve into this psyche to cleanse him."  
  
Batman closed his eyes for a moment. "So, we are going to observe him, discreetly. Our goal is to find out what these triggers are, and what options we have. He may be a clone, but unless we have evidence that he is willingly working against us, we are going to treat him like one of our own who has been compromised."  
  
"... Okay," Arrow said reluctantly. "Okay. And Roy?"  
  
"We're not sure," Batman admitted. "For now, we'll keep him on the Watchtower with Match. Manhunter will be attempting to probe into their minds before we awaken them, just to make sure that they're safe. There is a chance that CADMUS may have left unpleasant surprises for us. We'll plan further ahead once we know whether they're clean or not."  
  
Arrow sat still for a moment before sighing. "I can't say I'm happy about this... But it's not like I have any better solutions. Speedy... I'll have to try and keep my distance, but if he comes to me, I won't give the game away."  
  
"That's all we ask." Batman turned to the rest of the League. "Anything else to add?"  
  
A chorus of negatives echoed through the League.  
  
"Then onto the last item on the agenda." Wonder Woman typed into her keyboard, clearing the screen and pulling up an image taken from the Hall of Justice's security system, of her and Batman in the interview room with a certain redhead. "We need to talk about my newest sideki-- Sorry, _apprentice_."  
  
One of the Green Lanterns, John Stewart, hummed under his breath. "I'm happy for you, Diana. I know you've been missing out on teaching since Donna decided to focus on her civilian life. But I don't see how this is a League issue."  
  
Batman reached down and typed something into the computer. "The reason for that is..." A few more files appeared on the screen. "Outside of a few forged and backdated documents, there is no record of her existence from before February of 2003."  
  
The Flash blinked. "Wait, isn't that around the time..?"  
  
"The League was formed, yes." Diana pulled up another document. "In fact, her first official documentation was when she was entered into a Metropolis hospital as a 'Jane Doe', not even a week after we had fought off the Appellexians."  
  
Lantern Stewart rubbed his chin. "That is one hell of a coincidence. But it says here that she was seven or eight at the time. I don't see how much of a threat she could be, even now."  
  
"She may not be a threat," Batman said, "but I don't like coincidences. I want you all to keep an eye on her, especially those of you who will be interacting with the new team the most, such as Canary and Tornado."  
  
Red Tornado glanced at Batman, his mood almost impossible to tell under his metallic exterior. "If you are so concerned," he asked in his monotonous voice, "why did you allow Wonder Woman to take her on in the first place?"  
  
"Because I want to keep an eye on her too... Although, I can't say my reasons are the same as his." Wonder Woman cleared the holographic screen once again, this time bringing up two sets of files. One was filled with various school reports, the other police reports. "When Batman and I looked her up, we noticed a bad trend starting to pop up."  
  
The League members opened the files and began to peruse them. After a few minutes, Black Canary spoke up. "She's getting more violent."  
  
"Indeed," Batman replied. "The various schools she had attended have mentioned that she tends to get into a lot of fights with her fellow students, usually over some perceived injustice or bullying attempt, and often getting both them and herself into trouble. The fights in the past few months have become more severe than the past ones, though, and at least two students had to be sent home from separate fights after she injured them."  
  
"Plus," Wonder Woman added, "the police reports of her vigilante activities originally noted that the apprehended criminals only suffered minor injuries from her. However, over the past two months, in particular, more and more of her takedowns have resulted in the perps getting hospitalized with broken bones ar even minor second-degree burns. Nothing permanent, not yet, but she seems to be holding back less and less."  
  
Wonder Woman closed her eyes. "When I first started my own hero career, about nine years ago, I had the tendency to use far more force than necessary when arresting criminals. A holdover from the war, perhaps. After the League was formed, though, you all helped me learn to better control my strength, so I could make sure not to seriously injure or even kill anyone without meaning too." Her eyes opened. "A lot of young metahumans - or in Ashley's case, mages - have fallen to crime not because they wanted to, but because they couldn't control themselves until it was too late. If I can help her avoid that fate, be a hero the way she wants to be... Well, isn't our job as heroes to help those that need help?"  
  
There was a round of nodding and muttering across the room as Batman closed the files on the screens. "In any case," he said, "I think that covers the main points I wanted to go over this meeting. Thank you all for your time."  
  


* * *

  
  
 **Unknown**  
  
The darkness of the room was banished when seven screens flared to life. A white silhouette took up the center of each screen, each person a different shape. They all knew each other's identities, of course, but there was always the chance that their communications would be compromised. Obscurity was best.  
  
"So," one began, "CADMUS has been thoroughly lost to us."  
  
"It would seem so," a second replied. "I have managed to secure some of the more... sensitive data before it was found, but the facility itself has fallen beyond our reach."  
  
"Unfortunate, but not entirely unexpected. Do we know what drew the sidekicks to the labs?"  
  
"A fire," a third voice replied, the words marred by a thick French accent, "set by one of ze genomorphs. Desmond allowed zem too much freedom, it would seem."  
  
"And now the Superboy is in the League's hands..." the second voice mused. "Perfect. What of the prototype and the sidekick?"  
  
"Unknown. Ze room zey were kept in was seemingly destroyed. We have not been able to uncover any remains."  
  
"In that case, we must assume that they have been compromised," the first voice spoke smoothly.  
  
A fourth voice piped in, this one female. "And the formula?"  
  
"Ah... ze latest batch was unfortunately lost, but we still have several of ze prototype batches. We will make do."  
  
"Hehehehehe..." a fifth crackled dementedly. "Yes, and all because one little mage got slipped into the mix... Ooh, may I deal with her? She seems so very interesting."  
  
"We shall see," the second replied. "We have lost much tonight. But it is not irreparable. We shall push forward, as we always have."  
  
The first chuckled, "Even with these losses, it will not be long... before the world shall see the Light."  
  


* * *

  
  
 **Mount Justice  
July 8th**  
  
Kid Flash, AKA Wally West was beside himself with excitement. Today had just seemed like another boring day before his uncle had called, telling him to get dressed and meet him by the nearby Zeta Tube. That had been more than enough to speed him along. When they'd entered the tube and come out the other side to see Robin, Aqualad, and even Superboy standing there with most of the League?  
  
Well, Wally's grin was wide enough to split his face as he listened to Batman's explanation.  
  
"... Since you four are determined to stay together and fight the good fight, you'll do it on League terms," he informed them, a note or warning is his tone. Still not enough to break through Wally's excitement, though! "Red Tornado volunteered to live here and be your supervisor. Black Canary's in charge of training." Batman turned to face them. "I will deploy you on missions."  
  
"Real missions?" Robin asked.  
  
"Yes. But _covert_."  
  
"The League will still handle the obvious stuff," Uncle Barry said with a smirk. "There's a reason we have these big targets on our chests."  
  
"But CADMUS proved the bad guys are getting smarter," Aquaman added. "Batman needs a team that can operate on the sly."  
  
The man in question looked at the assembled teens. "The six of you will be that team."  
  
"Cool... Wait." Robin's face echoed Wally's own confusion. "Six?"  
  
Batman looked behind them, and Wally turned to see the Martian Manhunter walk out of the shadows of the zeta tubes... followed by a green-skinned _cutie_. "This is the Martian Manhunter's niece," Batman explained, "Miss Martian."  
  
"Hi," Miss Martian said shyly, raising a hand. Wally felt his grin grow even wider, something he hadn't thought possible, as he leaned in towards Robin.  
  
"I'm liking his gig more every minute," he whispered to his friend, then he stood up straight and walked up to Miss M. "Welcome aboard! I'm Kid Flash." He gestured behind him. "That's Robin, Aqualad, it's cool if you forget their names."  
  
Miss M smiled. "I'm honored to be included."  
  
 _Man, she's adorable,_ Wally though as Rob and Aqualad walked up behind him. He almost didn't notice Rob turning back and telling Superboy to come to meet her as well. He did not miss her shirt and cape shifting to back shortly afterward, though.  
  
"I... like your t-shirt," she explained to Superboy. The clone actually smiled at that... Until Rob nudged him with his elbow and Wally zoomed up to pat his shoulder. _Looks like the big guy's got a bit of game after all,_ the speedster thought to himself. _Too bad he's gonna lose._  
  
"And in addition," Batman added, walking up to them. "You shall also be joined by Wonder Woman's new apprentice."  
  
"Wonder Woman got a new apprentice?" Rob asked, surprised. Batman just nodded towards the other Zeta Tube in response, and they all looked over to see the hero in question walking up to them... followed by an extremely familiar redhead.  
  
"No way!" Wally zoomed up to her. "Ash! Man, you got picked up by Wonder Woman?"  
  
"Heh, yep!" Ash gave a large grin, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "She sort of offered me the job after the whole CADMUS thing."  
  
"That's awesome!" Rob said, leading the rest of their new team up to her. "None of our mentors would tell us what happened to you. Aqualad was getting worried, you know."  
  
"I'd imagine so." Ash took a deep breath. "Well. I'm looking forward to working with you all again!"  
  
"Indeed," Aqualad said, smiling slightly as he took us all in. "Today is the day."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, Arc 1 is officially over! Or is it Episode 1..? Screw it, I'm gonna use Arcs.
> 
> Arc 2 will follow soon, but I don't see it taking too long, maybe ~5 chapters? And that's at most, it depends how much fluff I put into it... I wanna have Ash build up some basic relationships with the team as soon as possible, and next Arc is the best time to do that.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!


	14. Arc 2 (Formation): Housewarming

**July 17th  
15:03 EDT**  
  
 _Recognized: Ash, B-06_  
  
"I've _got_ to think of a better name," I muttered to myself as I stepped out of the Zeta Tube, rubbing my shoulder to get some of the stiffness out. Turns out, coming up with a good hero name was hard. The League had programmed 'Ash' in for now, but really, I didn't just want to use a shortening of my actual name for hero work... Doing that felt lazy.  
  
A familiar scent lingered in the air of the Mountain. Stopping in the middle of the Mission Room, I closed my eyes, sniffing the air as I tried to identify it. Flour, eggs, milk... chocolate?  
  
With a grin, I turned and made my way over to the kitchen. Sure enough, several cooking ingredients were spread across the counters, with a large bowl on the center island for mixing them all together. Unsurprisingly, one of my fellow housemates stood in the middle of the mess, frowning intently as an egg beater whipped up a batch of... something in the bowl, without anyone touching it. She was so focused that she didn't even realize I had entered the room until I gave a little cough, causing her to jump and launch the beater out of the bowl. I yelped and reached out, grabbing it before it could smack me in the face.  
  
"Oh, hi there, Ash!" Miss Martian - _"Call me M'gann!"_ \- said, smiling a little shakily. "Sorry about that, you kind of scared me."  
  
"It's cool, I shouldn't have snuck up on you." I tossed the beater back at her, watching as she grabbed it with her telekinesis and began mixing the batch again. Walking over to the fridge, I eyed the bowl. "What'cha making?"  
  
"I'm trying out a cookie recipe!" she replied happily. "I thought the team would appreciate having something to snack on next time they came around."  
  
"Well, I dunno about the guys, but I'm starving. Cookies sound amazing right about now." I opened the fridge, grabbing a water bottle.  
  
"Great!" Oh god, she's like a little puppy. "How was training with Wonder Woman?"  
  
"Intense," I replied, opening the bottle. "Having her as a mentor... It's amazing, don't get me wrong. But some of the things she's having me do to get ready for this life are a bit... completely exhausting? Like today, she decided that she was gonna spar against me. She hits harder than Superboy, and _she's_ holding back!" I tipped the bottle up, draining the water gulp after greedy gulp.  
  
M'gann nodded, moving the egg beater to the sink and rinsing it off. "I think I understand. My uncle was insistent that I have some proper psychic training from him before I go out on the team. It's not really tiring in the same way, but I always feel like I need a nap afterward. Can you please pass the chocolate chips?"  
  
I grabbed the bag on the counter next to me and tossed towards her. "The League went all-out stocking this place up, huh?"  
  
"Well, there are three of us living here now. They wouldn't want us to starve."  
  
"Huh, better than some of my foster homes..." M'gann looked at me with a shocked expression, making me snort. "Kidding, I'm kidding. So, where's Superboy?"  
  
"Oh, he's um..." M'gann stammered, her green skin somehow acquiring a blush as she looked around. "Ah, he's in the lounge, I think."  
  
"Watching static again?"  
  
"Um, maybe? I don't know. I just looked for him telepathically, I didn't talk to him or anything."  
  
"Ah," I said. "That seems like a useful power to have. How does it work, anyway?"  
  
< _Like this!_ > I flinched a little at the unexpected mental contact. It felt... weird. I couldn't really think of a good way to describe it. It was more than just words being spoken, I could feel M'gann's emotions and intentions behind it too. < _Oh, sorry! Are you okay?_ >  
  
"... Yeah, I'm fine," I replied, shaking my head. "Just... warn me next time? That was really weird."  
  
"Oh..." M'gann got a crestfallen look on her face. "I'm sorry... Everyone on Mars communicated telepathically, so I guess..."  
  
"Well, this isn't Mars..." I muttered, then sighed and walked over, putting a hand on M'gann's shoulder. "Look, M'gann, it fine, it was an accident. Just please don't do it here unless you've gotten permission from people, okay?" I paused for a second before adding, "Unless they're bad guys. That's different."  
  
"Um, okay then? I'll try to keep that in mind."  
  
I smiled. "Good enough for now. Thanks."  
  
"... So, can I get back to making cookies now, or..?"  
  
"Oh, yeah, sure!" I backed off, walking out of the kitchen. "Call me when they're done, okay?"  
  
"I will!" she called back, a smile returning to her face.  
  


* * *

  
  
A quick shower later, to help was of the post-workout sweat, and I was flopping down onto my bed. My room was still mostly bare, since I didn't really own a lot of personal stuff outside of what was necessary, and even most of that was second-hand. The only real things that made the room "mine" so far were my old suitcase against the wall, and the fact I'd pushed the bed into a corner, so it was against two walls rather than one.  
  
I began to reflect on the ways my life had changed in the past couple of weeks. It hadn't taken more than a day or two to get my thoughts in order and take Wonder Woman up on her offer. I wanted to be a hero, after all, and the Justice League were the biggest heroes out there. It really was a no-brainer.  
  
Apparently, Batman had pulled some legal strings to get me transferred to a non-existent foster home in Happy Harbor, where the Mountain was located. As far as the government was concerned, I was still in the system, while in actuality I was closer to being a ward of the League themselves. At least, legally speaking - given how little Red Tornado actively monitored us, M'gann, Superboy, and I were mostly self-sufficient at this point. Sure, the League was the one providing housing and food, but they were mostly leaving us to our own devices for now.  
  
I hadn't seen much of our other three teammates since the team was officially formed. Occasionally, one or two of them, usually Aqualad, stopped by, but they never stayed for long. I think they were getting anxious, eager to be sent on a mission already.  
  
My days, meanwhile, were fairly busy. While it wasn't taking up every waking hour or anything, Wonder Woman would usually come to get me once every two or three days, if she was free, to help get me into fighting shape. While it was mostly training at this point, she had brought me to the Hall of Justice once or twice to meet with Batman, who was apparently going to be funding and building my costume. We'd managed to hash out a few details, and by the end of our second session yesterday, we'd finalized the design for him to begin work on.  
  
Now if only I could decide on a name...  
  
Shaking the thought out of my head, I stood back up and walked out of my room. Hopefully, Superboy was finished with the TV, I could really use something to watch...  
  
"Oh!" I stumbled, trying to keep myself from overbalancing as I almost ran into M'gann. "Sorry," she said, "I was just coming to get you, the cookies are done!"  
  
"Oh, awesome!"  
  
"Also, Aqualad stopped by again. He said the rest of the team are coming tomorrow, and we're going to see if Red Tornado has any missions for us."  
  
"Really?" She nodded. "Huh. Sweet. Can't wait to see them." I bit my lip, looking over her shoulder. "Um, now, about those cookies..."  
  
M'gann may be an amateur cook, but her cookies were still delicious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short fluff chapter, to lead us into the second Arc. Also, is anyone else hungry?


	15. Arc 2 (Formation): Team-Building

**July 18th  
11:16 EDT**  
  
 _Recognized: Robin, B-01; Kid Flash, B-03_  
  
I glanced back towards the Zeta Tubes as the two teenage boys ran up to us, both out of costume. Well, Robin was still wearing a pair of sunglasses that hid his eyes and a bit of his facial shape, but he was otherwise dressed normally. Aqualad, Superboy, M'gann, and I were all already gathered around the console waiting for them, watching on a holographic screen as we tracked Red Tornado, who was finally coming back to base.  
  
"Did you ask him yet?"/"What did he say?" The two of them asked almost simultaneously. I chuckled a bit at that as Aqualad smiled.  
  
"He's arriving now," the dark-skinned teen replied.  
  
"Then what are we waiting for?" Kid Flash bumped his fist against Robin's shoulder and took off towards the cave entrance, thankfully not at super-speed. Robin and Aqualad quickly followed.  
  
"Eager, aren't they?" I asked under my breath.  
  
"I can't say I blame them, though," M'gann pointed out. She glanced at Superboy, and the two of them made to follow the other three, leaving me to bring up the rear. A few minutes trekking through the mountain, and we arrived at what appeared to be a dead-end hallway - at least, until the ceiling descended into a ramp, allowing us to climb up to the surface above.  
  
Red Tornado arrived seconds after we ascended, slowly drifting in from on high as his powers created a, well, red tornado beneath him, kicking up enough wind to send my hair blowing all over the place. _And now it's all over the place. I'd finally gotten it to behave, too, dammit!_  
  
"Red Tornado!" Wally called out as the wind died off, waving his hand to get the hero's attention.  
  
"Greetings," Tornado responded, his voice as monotonous as I'd have expected from a robot. "Is there a reason you intercepted me outside the cave?" he asked as we gathered before him.  
  
"We hoped you had a mission for us," Aqualad explained.  
  
"Mission assignments are the Batman's responsibility."  
  
"But's it's been over a week," Robin protested, "and we-"  
  
"You will be tested soon enough," Red Tornado interrupted, raising a hand. "For the time being, simply enjoy each other's company."  
  
Aqualad glanced around. "This team is not a social club."  
  
"No. But I am told social interaction is an important team-building exercise." Red Tornado began to walk forward, and we moved aside. "Perhaps you can keep yourself busy by familiarizing yourself with the cave."  
  
As he passed me, a took a whiff of the air. My sense of smell had long since developed enough that I could identify people's unique scent, which I knew had to do with the different pheromones that the human body released. What surprised me was that Red Tornado, despite being an android, had a fairly unique scent as well. It was... well, people's smells weren't really easy to describe. It's not like they just smelled like whatever foods or hobbies they liked, there was more to it than that. Red Tornado was no different. I could tell that he didn't have an "organic" smell to him, but he still smelled different than any machine I'd ever encountered. I wondered what could be causing it.  
  
"...'m sorry." I blinked as M'gann spoke up - I'd lost track of the conversation. I hated it when that happened. "I forgot, he's a machine, inorganic. I... cannot read his mind."  
  
"Nice try though," Kid said, before leaning in closer to her. "So... you know what I'm thinking right about now?"  
  
"Ugh," I muttered, "gross."  
  
He looked at me for a second before going pale, straightening up and waving his hands in denial. "Wait, nonono, I didn't mean it like that, honest!"  
  
"Yeah, sure you didn't." I rolled my eyes. "Teenage boys are the same everywhere."  
  
"I'm serious, I wasn't thinking anything dirty!"  
  
Robin laughed. "Dude, just give up. No way you're winning this one."  
  
Aqualad shook his head as Kid slumped in defeat. "And now, we tour the clubhouse," he said, his tone biting.  
  
"Well, Superboy, Ash, and I all live here," M'gann said. "We can play tour guides."  
  
The boys looked at Superboy, who frowned. "Don't look at me."  
  
"We won't!" Kid Flash said, turning to face us two redheads - wait, he was a redhead too. How was half of our team made up of gingers? "A private tour sounds much more fun." And he was already back to flirting mode, great.  
  
"She never said private!" Robin cut in.  
  
"Team-building," Aqualad said in agreement. "We'll all go."  
  
We walked back inside, M'gann and I in the lead this time as Robin and Kid Flash shoved each other a little. M'gann opened her mouth to say something, but I cut her off before she could, sniffing the air. "Hey, M'gann? I think your cookies are done."  
  
"Ooh!" She rose up into the air and rocketed down the hallway, leaving me with the rest of the team giving me quizzical looks.  
  
"Cookies?" Well, the rest of the team except Kid, who was starting to drool a bit.  
  
"Yep! M'gann wanted to make something special," I confirmed with a grin. "I had some yesterday. She needs a bit of practice, but they're still good."  
  
"And how did you know they were done?" Robin asked.  
  
I grinned wider and tapped the side of my nose. "Bloodhounds ain't got shit on me. Wanna go eat?"  
  


* * *

  
  
"Mmm!" Kid Flash said, his mouth full of cookie. "'Deshe are good!"  
  
"Told ya!" I popped another in my mouth, savoring the taste. They were a little overcooked, sure, but plenty edible. Everyone was helping themselves to at least a couple, save for Superboy, who was sulking in the corner for some reason.  
  
"Thank you!" M'gann's smile was adorable. She looked so proud of herself. "This kitchen is really useful. So are a lot of the rooms here, actually. There's even a lounge with a TV in it."  
  
"If this place is so nice, then why aren't the League still using it?" Miracle of miracles, Superboy spoke up!  
  
"The cave's secret location was... compromised," Aqualad explained. I nearly choked on my cookie as I realized what he meant, but managed to swallow it before it went down the wrong tube.  
  
"Wait wait wait, you mean any of the bad guys could just waltz in here whenever they want?" I asked in alarm.  
  
"If that's true, we must be on high alert!" M'gann exclaimed.  
  
Robin chucked. "Calm down, you two. The bad guys know we know they know, so they won't look here, y'know?"  
  
M'gann and I looked at him, then at each other. < _Do you understand what he just said?_ > She asked, using the mental link I'd let her set up earlier. It seemed like something that would be useful in the future, especially since Batman had said our team would be covert, so I'd wanted to get used to it.  
  
< _Not a clue,_ > I responded.  
  
Kid flash swallowed his cookies. "He means we're hiding in plain sight," he said, obviously having picked up on our confusion.  
  
"... If you say so," I muttered. The reasoning seemed a bit flimsy to me, but I guess if the League was confident in using this place for us, I'd have to trust them.  
  
"In any case," Aqualad spoke up, "it was sweet of you to make these cookies for us. Thank you."  
  
"Oh, well, you're welcome, Aqualad."  
  
"We're off-duty." He raised his hand to his chest, looking between her, Superboy, and me. "Call me Kaldur'ahm. Actually, my friends call me Kaldur," he ended with a smile.  
  
"I'm Wally," Kid Flash said in a - Oh god, is that his seductive voice? He leaned on the counter, looking at M'gann and me. "See, I already trust you with my secret ID. Unlike Mr. Dark Glasses over here. Batman's forbidden Boy Wonder from telling anyone his real name."  
  
"Mine's no secret!" M'gann chirped as I slowly edged away from Wally. "It's M'gann M'orzz. But you can call me Megan. It's an Earth name. And I'm on Earth now."  
  
The rest of the room, as if on cue, turned to me. I blinked for a moment before realizing what they were expecting. "Uh, I already told you guys my name, didn't I?"  
  
"No, you just told us your superhero name," Robin said.  
  
I shook my head. "I don't _have_ a hero name yet. My name really is Ash... Well, it's short for Ashley, not the only people to ever actually call me that were my foster parents and teachers. Everyone else just calls me Ash."  
  
"Wait." Wally stood up, looking at me incredulously. "You mean you actually gave me your real name - _nickname_ , when I asked for it? Seriously?"  
  
"I panicked, okay?!"  
  
"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" We all flinched back at Superboy yelled. I turned to see him glaring at M'gann, who looked upset, before turning and stalking out of the kitchen. Frowning, I "tugged" on M'gann's connection.  
  
< _Please tell me you didn't?_ >  
  
< _He just seemed upset... I wanted to make him feel better..._ > Great, I made M'gann feel bad.  
  
Kaldur turned to our resident Martian. "What was that about?"  
  
"I wanted to tell him something..." M'gann explained. "But I forgot... Ash told me I shouldn't use my telepathy on you without permission."  
  
Kaldur relaxed slightly. "She wasn't wrong. Your powers can be an extreme invasion of privacy here on Earth."  
  
Wally smirked. "That, and CADMUS's creepy little psychic g-gnomes left a bad taste in his brain."  
  
"I'll try to be better at remembering that," M'gann promised us. Then she grinned and dope-slapped herself on the head. " _Hello,_ Megan! I know something fun we could do!"  
  


* * *

  
  
"It's my Martian Bioship!"  
  
I stopped in my tracks, glaring at the large red pod-thing in the center of the hanger. M'gann had brought us all down here without telling us anything, even a calmed-down Superboy. I'd asked her over the mental link, but she's been tight-lipped about it. If one can be tight-lipped over a purely mental conversation, anyways.  
  
"Cute!" Wally said. "Not aerodynamic, but cute."  
  
"It's at rest, silly," M'gann said with a giggle. "I'll wake it." She waved her hand, and the pod... flowed, for lack of a better term, until we were standing before a sleek, futuristic-looking jet. Another hand wave, and the ship turned in the spot, a ramp opening up on the back. M'gann started to walk up to it, then turned and looked at us. "Well, are you coming?"  
  
"... Can I take a rain check?" I asked, stepping back. Transportation, why did it have to be transportation?  
  
"Unfortunately, no," Aqualad said, gently grabbing my arm and leading me after the others as they boarded the ship. "It's team-building. We're doing this together.  
  
"Oh, great... Kaldur, if I die, you get all my stuff."  
  
"Very well." He led me onto the ship and into the cabin, which had an admittedly cool-looking organic design to it. I watched as the floor shifted, several seats popping up out of nowhere.  
  
"Strap in for launch," M'gann told us, and I nervously moved to one of the chairs. Seatbelts wrapped around me like arms, strapping me to the seat. "Red Tornado," M'gann said as she sat in the larger captain's chair, "please open the bay doors."  
  
Tornado must have had radio contact with us, as said doors slowly began to open before us. I watched as two orbs rose up to M'gann, and she placed her hands on them. They must have been the control panels because seconds later, we lifted off and zipped out over the bay.  
  
What happened next was something I tried to block from memory. M'gann took us for a spin, showing off her ship's capabilities, all while I sat white-knuckled in the corner trying my damnedest not to spill my guts all over the interior of M'gann nice shiny bioship. Damn you, Dragon Slayer constitution!  
  
I heard a few conversations going on around me, but I could barely pay any attention to them, too busy trying to keep my rioting stomach under control. At least, until I heard Robin say something about Martian shapeshifting. I turned around just in time to see M'gann's form shift and change, and before I knew it, I was looking at an identical copy of myself. M'gann went through a couple of other forms, genderbent versions of Robin and Wally, before changing back to herself.  
  
"Impressive," Robin said, clapping. "But any particular reason they're all girls? Because last I checked, Wally and I... aren't."  
  
"Mimicking boys is a lot harder," M'gann replied sheepishly, sitting back down.  
  
"And your clothes?" Aqualad asked.  
  
"They're organic, just like the ship! They respond to my mental command."  
  
"Well, can you ask the ship to slow down a little, please?" I grounded out, causing everyone to look over at me.  
  
"Ash, you okay?" Robin asked. "You're looking a little pale there."  
  
"I'm fine," I said unconvincingly. "I'm just... I get motion sick. I'll be better once we land."  
  
"You should have said something," Aqualad admonished. "I would not have insisted you come along if I knew it was detrimental to your health."  
  
"Seriously, it's... ugh... it's fine." I curled up on myself. "Seriously, don't stop on my account. It's usually worse than this, at least I can talk."  
  
A few concerned glanced were exchanged, but thankfully, they let the topic drop. Conversation turned to power talk and limits after a while, and M'gann showed us the ship's camouflage mode, which I privately thought would be a lot cooler once I was back on solid ground. Any further talk was stalled, however, when Red Tornado contacted us, something about an alert at the local power plant. We turned towards it as Robin complained about Tornado keeping us busy.  
  
"Well, a simple fire led you to Superboy,' M'gann pointed out as we started to descend. "We should find out what caused the alert."  
  
"I think I know the cause," Superboy said. We all turned to follow his gaze, and there, right in the parking lot, was a fuck-huge twister, barreling towards us.  
  
I had enough time to think _This is gonna suck_ before we were pulled in, and lunches were promptly lost.


	16. Arc 2 (Formation): The Team VS Mister Twister

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AO3 NOTE: This is actually a revised version of the original chapter, as I wasn't happy with how it turned out.

"I am so, so, _so_ sorry, M'gann," I gasped out, leaning over with my hands on my knees as I recovered. "Please tell me your ship's not gonna hate me for this?"  
  
M'gann patted my back. "It's okay, Ash. It's not like any of it hit us, and the Bioship is capable of processing organic waste, so it won't take long to clean up."  
  
From what I understood, attempting to ride a flying Bioship through a tornado was not a very common activity on Mars. M'gann had managed to pull us through without much damage, thankfully, but not before I had managed to completely embarrass myself in front of my entire team. And probably made them all sick too. Maybe. I hadn't exactly been able to pay much attention to their reactions.  
  
Once we were free, M'gann had brought us down to the parking lot and let us out. I swear, solid ground had never been more appealing... Robin had almost instantly vanished, and the others had hurridly raced towards the power plant. M'gann had stayed behind, though, while I tried to recover from the wild ride.  
  
"Okay... okay... I'm good," I said, standing straight and wiping off my mouth. One good thing about my peculiar motion sickness? I recovered from it extremely fast once I back on my own two feet.  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yep!" I grabbed M'gann's hand and began running towards the plant myself. "C'mon, we're gonna miss the smackdown!"  
  
It didn't take us long to reach the building. Running in through a particularly large entrance - seriously, this wasn't a loading bay, why did they need a doorway that big? - we found ourselves in a large, open room, the rest of our team in front of and below us, down a short flight of stairs. Robin was picking himself off the ground with Kaldur and Wally not far away and Superboy several feet ahead, staring at the room's other occupant. Said occupant was a tall, metallic humanoid, colored in red with black stripes. Gunmetal gray armor encased his body, bulging into large gauntlet-bracer-things around his forearms with cylinders on the underside. Glowing blue pipes ran from said cylinders and the tops of the gauntlets into his shoulders, and a ragged brown scarf covered his lower face.  
  
"My apologies," he intoned in a deep voice, looking at Robin. "You may address me as 'Mister Twister.'" He punctuated his sentence by throwing his arms forward, forming two large whirlwinds near Superboy. He staggered, trying to resist the wind before Twister threw out a third one that picked him up and launched him back. Superboy impacted the wall near us with a pained grunt before falling to the floor.  
  
M'gann and I shared a concerned look for a second, then we hopped down to join the other three. I planted my feet and raised my fists, glaring at Twister. This new guy's scent lingered heavily in the air, oil and metal and... ozone, for some reason, being prominent components. We stood for a moment, the two sides staring down each other. Then Kaldur gave a small nod, and we lunged forward.  
  
A now goggle-wearing Wally was the first to reach Twister, his speed allowing him to close in quickly and launch himself in a kick. Twister's wind caught him midair first, spinning Wally around the metal body and out the second stupidly large door. Twister turned back to the rest of us as we closed in, air shooting from his cylinders and sweeping underneath us. I stumbled before punching down, my fist breaking through the concrete floor and anchoring me. Kaldur and M'gann weren't as lucky and were blown away an instant later.  
  
"I was prepared to be challenged by a superhero," Twister said, looking back at Robin. "I was not, however, expecting _childr_ -" His miniature monologue was and I latched onto the ground with my other hand and brought my buried fist up, sending concrete flying as a large piece of the broken ground impacted with his chest, followed shortly by my fist. Twister stumbled back, then snarled, "It's rude to interrupt," and launched another disc of air at me. It hit before I could anchor myself properly, and I went flying back myself, hitting the ground hard and rolling before I came to a halt near the stairs.  
  
"We're not children!" Robin growled, chucking a bomb at him. The explosion was quickly dispersed by wind, only to be followed up by a razor-sharp batarang. It struck Twister and the chest, and he stared for a second before flicking it with a finger and breaking it off.  
  
"Objectively, you are," he pointed out.  
  
" _Objectively_ , you're an ass," I spat out as I stood back up. "What the fuck are you doing here, anyway?"  
  
"My my, what a filthy mouth you have on you." Twister folded his arms. "I came to challenge a hero, but it would seem they prefer to send children to fight. Quite frankly, I'm disturbed by the concept."  
  
"Well, we hate to see you disturbed," Robin said as I moved next to him, a recovered Superboy, M'gann, and Kaldur joining me. "Let's see if you're more _turbed_ once we kick your can!"  
  
M'gann stretched her arms forward and yanked them away, telekinetically crushing the bottom of a large metal vat above Twister and blinding him with the steam the came out. Superboy and I moved at the same time, him jumping up and forward while I juked to the right before charging. Twister raised a hand towards each of us, forming powerful gusts of wind, and we were pushed back, Superboy crashing into M'gann, myself being thrown against the wall. I managed to get my feet under me moments before I hit, and I stood against the wall for a second, my momentum keeping me from falling. Then jets of fire erupted under my soles, and I blasted back towards Twister. He was busy slamming Kaldur and Robin together with wind and didn't seem to notice me until my flame-coated fist collided with the side of his head, sending him reeling back.  
  
His hand wrapped around my leg, and moments later I impacted the ground, pinned down by Twister's immense weight. "You are especially annoying!" he barked.  
  
"Thanks," I coughed out. "I try." And then I lit myself on fire.  
  
Credit where credit is due, Twister managed to keep a hold on me for several seconds before the metal on his hands began to warp from the heat. Cursing, he let go and staggered back. I quickly quenched myself - M'gann was too close to keep it up for long, even if my flames didn't seem to follow the normal rules for convection - and hopped to my feet. "Aw, too hot for you to handle, big guy?" I cooed.  
  
"Hardly." Twister brought an arm up to form another whirlwind, but before he could, a reddish blur slammed into his back. He stumbled forward, and I took the opportunity to uppercut him to the chin. I turned as he fell to the ground, facing the blur that resolved itself to be Wally.  
  
"Dude," he said with a grin, "that was really hot."  
  
I chuckled a little. "What can I say? He got me all fired up."  
  
A chorus of groans echoed around the room as our teammates picked themselves up. "Really?" Robin asked, an annoyed look on his face. "There's two of them now?"  
  
"Oh, I don't want to hear it, Mr. _Turbed_ ," I replied, shaking my head. Wally laughed a little as Robin's expression managed to somehow become even more annoyed.  
  
"Are you all quite done?" I turned to look at Mister Twister, who had righted himself and was glaring at me, his scarf having burned away to reveal a completely smooth lower face.  
  
"Nah, I got a ton of sick burns left in me."  
  
Even Twister groaned at that one. Wally was still laughing, though. _At least someone here appreciates my genius._ Twister lashed out with another blast of air, but Wally and I managed to dodge. As I rolled back, I prodded my mental connection with M'gann. < _Hey, can you see if there's anyone inside that guy? Y'know, telepathically?_ >  
  
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw M'gann's face screw up in concentration as she rose into the air, even as the others charged Twister. < _But I thought... No, right, bad guy, I remember now._ > I returned my focus to Twister, dancing around his air blasts as we all took turns darting in to hit him. His blasts seemed weaker than before... Had I screwed up his arms that badly? < _... No, I'm not getting anything! ... Hello, Megan! He's obviously just Red Tornado in disguise!_ >  
  
I skidded to a halt despite myself. < _What_.>  
  
< _He's inorganic, an android! And how many androids are there that can generate tornados?_ >  
  
I blinked, then jumped back, barely managing to dodge another air disc. < _M'gann, sweetie... No. He's not Red Tornado. He smells completely different. Plus, Red Tornado's tornados are, well... red._ >  
  
< _Oh..._ > M'gann slumped in midair. < _I just thought he was testing us?_ >  
  
< _I don't think the League would attack a public power plant just to test us._ >  
  
"ENOUGH!" Twister roared, cutting off any mental replies as he rose into the air and flew out the back door. We all dashed after him, only to slide to a halt once we got outdoors. Twister was floating in midair, storm clouds that were certainly not there a minute ago swirling around him and lighting danced around him. "I am ending this, NOW!"  
  
"... Oh," I muttered to myself, "that's why he smelled like ozone..."  
  
"MOVE!" Kaldur yelled, and we scattered. Moments later, there was a flash, and the world went white.  
  


* * *

  
  
"ASH!"  
  
M'gann stumbled back, trying to blink the spots out of her vision. Her connection to Ashley... It was gone. The lightning had disrupted her concentration on it. And now, Mister Twister was beginning to laugh, even as Wally and Kaldur stared at the wall of the power plant, where Ashley has been standing a moment before.  
  
Now, though... Everything was on fire. The bolt of lightning had practically disintegrated the wall, and something had exploded, coating the area in flame. And Ash was nowhere to be seen.  
  
"Now then," Twister said, floating lower as the clouds around him darkened ominously. M'gann gulped at the glower he was giving the five of them. "You children have vexed me for long enough." Electricity began to crackle along his arms. "I am going to end this now, and find a real hero... to... What in the...?"  
  
Mister Twister dropped his arms, and while his expressionless face didn't change, there was no doubt that he was staring past them in what would have been open mouthed shock, at the site of his lightning strike. M'gann turned, seeing the boys do the same thing out of the corner of her eyes, to see what had drawn the android's attention. And upon seeing it, M'gann had to suppress a small scream from coming out of her mouth.  
  
The fire... it was moving. Twisting and coiling, the flames danced up into the air, collecting together before spiraling back down the a central point, a point that the flames had previously obscured from sight. A point that was suspiciously human-shaped...  
  
The the dust cleared, and they could all see Ash, her cheeks billowing as she sucked down the fire like a drink from a straw, her face angled straight up and her arms out to either side, almost like she was balancing herself. The last flames disappeared into her gullet as she swallowed, and M'gann could have sworn she saw a sizable, almost cartoonish lump travel down her throat as she did. The pyromancer leaned forward, letting out a sigh that was half-smoke, and licked her lips as a vicious grim split her face. " _Thanks for the meal~_ " she sang, her sapphire eyes locking directly onto Twister's form.  
  
"What." M'gann's own voice was mirrored by five others, her teammates and Twister seemingly all blue-screening at the sight. _Did... did Ashley just eat fire?!?!_  
  
"Now then..." She crouched down, still looking up at Twister. "Miss Martian said you were inorganic, right? So that means..."  
  
Flames once again erupted underneath her, a vivid orange and red circle filled with runes flashing into existence for a brief moment, and she flew, faster than M'gann had ever seen her, straight at Mister Twister. He raised his hands to blow her off course, but he was slow, far too slow. She struck him in the shoulder, and her momentum hardly died, her body tearing through the metal as if it here wet paper. Another burst of flame sent her spinning around, and the now one-armed android spun to face her, even as flames engulfed her form.  
  
M'gann couldn't stop herself from stumbling back a little at the sight, gazing transfixed at the almost hellish grin she could just make out through the flames. Were her teeth always so sharp? Were her pupils always slitted? And why oh why did it look far less like a smile, and more like a predator, baring its teeth at its prey?  
  
"THAT I DON'T HAVE TO HOLD BACK, _RIGHT?!_ " The fire roared, and Ash struck Twister in the face. Though... to be perfectly honest, that was a bit of an understatement. The air itself rippled as her fist passed through it, whether from heat or from sheer strength, M'gann couldn't tell. And when it connected, Twister crumpled, falling before the blow like Martian sand before a windstorm. And all the while, M'gann's eyes never left Ash's face, the twisted, crazed, utterly gleeful expression on the other girl imprinting itself deep into the Martian's mind.  
  


* * *

  
  
" _FIRE DRAGON'S SCALED FIST!_ "  
  
Mister Twister _exploded_ , the flames warping and melting the metals of his form even as the force behind my punch utterly destroyed not just the head, but almost the entire upper body. The android's burning remains, with no more energy flowing to support them, fell to the ground like a meteor, carving a trench in the earth below. For a moment I hung, suspended in the air, staring at the carnage I had caused, my eyes wide. Did I really just do that?  
  
Then I began to fall, and I realized I had a much more immediate problem.  
  
"SOMEONE FUCKING CATCH ME- OOF!" My fall was halted several feet above the ground, leaving me floating at about a human's eye level. "Thanks, M'gann," I croaked out.  
  
"Yeah, n-no problem." I turned to look at her approaching with the others, only to suppress a wince. M'gann looked absolutely terrified, staring at me like I was a bomb about to go off. Which... was actually fair, considering what I'd been told about how poorly Martians handle heat and flame. I must have looked like some kind of demon out of her worse nightmares.  
  
"Well," Kaldur said, gazing at me critically. "That was... impressive. I heard you mention that Mister Twister was inorganic?"  
  
I nodded. "M'gann and I... We talked telepathically a bit during the battle. She couldn't read his mind, just like Red Tornado, so I sort of... Let loose on him?"  
  
"That was awesome!" Wally said, blurring over to my side. "Did you seriously _eat_ Twister's explosion, or was I seeing things?"  
  
"Yeah, I can kind of do that..."  
  
"Nice," Robin grinned. "Consider me officially whelmed."  
  
"... What?"  
  
Superboy looked at me for a moment, then nodded. "... Not bad."  
  
"Er, thanks... M'gann, can you put me down please?"  
  
"Oh, s-sorry." The force supporting me vanished, and I fell to my back, looking up the faces above me.  
  
"... So," I said, smiling weakly. "Anyone else hungry?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I just want to say this: Do not expect Ash to be one-shotting enemies like that in the future... like, at all. She only got the do so here because of all the fire she ate right beforehand, and also by not having to worry about her opponent being a squishy human.
> 
> Second, a quick update to how the next few chapters will play out: Arc 2 has one more chapter remaining. It probably won't be long, but it will primarily be dealing with the aftermath of the Mister Twister fight. After that, We'll be starting Arc 3 off with an interlude, and the chapter after that will be the one where Ash's hero name is officially solidified for the story.


	17. Arc 2 (Formation): Hard Talks

**July 19th  
10:28 EDT**  
  
It hadn't taken us long to all calm down from the fight against Mister Twister. Once his robotic remains had stopped burning, M'gann had brought the bioship around and taken it, along with all of us, back to the mountain. And no, the ride was not any more pleasant the second time around.  
  
Once we'd gotten back, we'd shown Twister's remains to Red Tornado, to see if he could make heads or tails of it. The android had quickly deduced that Twister himself was actually some kind of mech suit that had been piloted by a second, smaller robot within, one that had likely appeared superficially similar to a human before I'd gone nova on its ass. He's also found a few more things he found interesting, but most of the technical spiel went right over my head.  
  
Wally had ended up claiming a "souvenir," one of the eyes of the inner robot that had miraculously survived my assault. Which seemed kind of... morbid to me, but hey, I wasn't gonna judge. He and the other two had ended up sticking around for the rest of the evening, touring the rest of the base and claiming a few rooms for themselves, should they ever need to use them. I'd tagged along with them a bit, but there was a slight issue with hanging out with them. Specifically, M'gann.  
  
She'd been extremely quiet ever since we'd gotten back to the mountain, barely speaking at all. It was a stark contrast to her earlier peppy attitude. I'd wanted to say something to her, but seeing as she'd kept flinching whenever I got too close and refusing to look me in the eye at all... Yeah, it probably wasn't the best idea. She'd even closed off our mental link, so I couldn't just talk to her that way.  
  
I'd eventually decided to leave her alone, telling the others I was feeling tired before heading back to my room. The rest of my evening was spent browsing the web as best I could on my clunky, older-model phone, trying to distract myself from the guilty feeling in my gut. Anger was there, too - I had taken out the bad guy, and it's not like it was my fault I'd been adopted by a fire dragon! She should get over herself? But then I remembered that she had every right to be afraid of my powers, and I looped right back around to feeling guilty.  
  
At some point, I'd ended up drifting off to sleep. The only reason I knew this was because, in the morning, I was quite rudely woken up by Superboy banging on the door, telling me I had a visitor. Given how few people knew I was here in the first place, it wasn't difficult to figure out who it was.  
  
It had taken only a few minutes for me to wake up, get ready, and head down to meet Wonder Woman for our newest training session.  
  


* * *

  
  
"Oof!" The air whooshed out of my lungs and I once again landed on the mat, hard.  
  
"That was better," Wonder Woman said, offering me a hand up, "but you're still telegraphing your attacks too much. It doesn't matter how hard you hit if the enemy can see it coming and dodge."  
  
I grabbed hold and let her pull me to my feet. "Yeah, I can see that."  
  
We were in a training hall below the Hall of Justice, one that the league had commonly used to spar against one another before moving up to the Watchtower - whose existence I hadn't even known before I'd asked Wonder Woman why we never seemed to encounter the other League members while training. Apparently, the others already knew about it. It did make sense that the League would have an actual secret base that didn't double as a tourist attraction. Too bad the League wouldn't just let us all use it as well.  
  
At any rate, Wonder Woman had commandeered the use of these rooms to help get me up to her fighting standards. According to her, while my basic form wasn't awful, and the actual Dragon Slayer moves Atlas had taught me all those years ago were fairly useful, I'd picked up several bad habits that could seriously hamper me in a fight against actual, trained opponents. While Black Canary would eventually be in charge of teaching us more advanced techniques, Wonder Woman took it upon herself to make sure I wasn't horribly behind the others beforehand, as well as teaching me things Canary wouldn't be able to, such as how to properly leverage my super-strength in a fight.  
  
Currently, she was dressed in her normal costume, though she's laid the Lasso to the side for now. I, on the other hand, was dressed in a sports bra and sweat pants, with my hair up in a loose ponytail to keep it from getting in the was too much.  
  
"Hmm." She looked me up and down, frowning. "One more quick spar, and we can take a break, alright?"  
  
"Sounds good to me," I replied with a grin.  
  
We both moved back to our starting positions, on either side of a large training mat we'd laid out earlier. I widened my stance and raised my fists to my chest. Wonder Woman smiled at me from across the mat and mimicked my form - she was currently handicapping herself, refusing to use her flight in order to better teach me how to fight properly, since my bullshit powers didn't include telling gravity to go fuck itself.  
  
We stood there for a moment, neither of us moving before Wonder Woman gave a small nod. At her signal, I inched forward, mimicking the movements of the boxing videos she's shown me a week ago, mostly older ones starring some guy named Ted Grant. Wonder Woman had explained that boxing was a fairly simple, but effective fighting style, and suggesting I tried imitating it in a few spars to help me get a better feel for how to properly move and position my body. Though we did mix it up with more freeform sparring regularly.  
  
Wonder Woman moved forward as well, and as soon as we were within range of each other, we began to trade blows. I focused primarily on dodging hers because holy hell was she strong, before striking at any openings I could see. For the most part, she simply weathered the blows but didn't hesitate to capitalize on openings herself - after all, one of the main purposes of this kind of spar was training me how to guard my body better. You never know when someone even stronger than us was gonna pop out of the woodwork.  
  
Eventually, I overextended on a punch, and Wonder Woman took the chance to land a heavy punch right into my ribcage, sending me stumbling back before falling on my ass. She held her pose for a few more seconds before relaxing. "Not bad. You're picking this up surprisingly quickly, Ashley."  
  
"It's Ash," I grumbled as a stood back up. "Everyone calls me Ash, why can't you?"  
  
"I will," she said, grinning, "when you start calling me Diana."  
  
"Mmm," I locked my fingers together and stretched my arms out. "But you've been Wonder Woman all my life. Calling you by an actual name feels... weird."  
  
"And that's why I'll keep calling you Ashley." She tossed me a water bottle from somewhere. "And no, that time after CADMUS doesn't count."  
  
I rolled my eyes and took a swig, then walked over and sat down on a bench. It didn't take long for Wonder Woman to come over and sit as well, and for a few minutes, we stayed there, letting out muscles rest.  
  
"You know," she eventually said, "moments like this make me miss spending more time on Themyscira."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes. Physical contests and spars are fairly common over there, and I still recall when I was first being trained to fight by my sisters." A soft smile crossed her face. "It was a lot like what we're doing here, save that I'm on the teaching side this time."  
  
I frowned a little, staring off into space. "... Do you get to go home often?"  
  
"Not as often as I would like if I am being honest. It seems like Man's World always has some sort of disaster about to befall it, and I can hardly turn my back on those in need. Still, I usually try to visit as often as I can. Perhaps one day, I may bring you along with me."  
  
I processed that sentence for a moment before looking at her, my eyes wide. "Are you serious?"  
  
"Of course." Wonder Woman turned to face me. "I feel like you would fit in well there, and many of my sisters are eager to meet my new apprentice."  
  
"Huh." I slumped a little, thoughts running wild. I hadn't really thought an invitation like that would be so... soon. If it happened at all. "That sounds... amazing. And I would love to meet your sisters."  
  
"Yes, Companionship is always nice. Speaking of which," her expression turned serious, "how are you getting along with your team?"  
  
"Oh uh... pretty well? Wally's pretty fun, though I wish he'd be a little less... flirty? Robin seems like a little shithead, but in a good way, Superboy's pretty quiet and broody, but I can handle that. Kaldur... I don't know, he's hard to read, but I think we get along okay. And M'gann..."  
  
I trailed off uncomfortably, looking down at my fingers. "I... I think I fucked up."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Well, did Red Tornado tell you what happened to us yesterday?" Wonder Woman nodded, and I gulped. "I, well... I kind of went all out at the end there, but... I think I scared her. We were getting along pretty well before that, but now... She won't even look at me. It's like she's terrified I'm gonna turn around and attack her or something."  
  
Wonder Woman closed her eyes. "I see. Before we continue, may I ask a question?"  
  
"You just did." I chuckled weakly when she fixed me with an unimpressed look. "Yeah, go ahead."  
  
"Why did you, as you say, 'go all out' against Mister Twister?"  
  
"... Well, M'gann said he was inorganic, 'cause she couldn't sense a mind to read? And... most of the time, I have to hold back. I've, well, I've fought a few people, but most of the time, I have to really try not to hurt them. Humans are just... really squishy. But I don't really have to worry about that with a robot, since, well, they're not really alive, right?"  
  
Wonder Woman sighed. "Ashley. Just because someone's a robot, doesn't mean they're not alive. After all, would you say Red Tornado isn't alive? That he isn't aware?"  
  
"... I guess not..." My eyes widened as her words sunk in. "Wait, does that mean I-?!"  
  
"No," she cut me off. "The Mister Twister robot didn't have any of the necessary technology in it to house an artificial intelligence. We think it may have been remote-controlled. But you didn't know that, and you still went for lethal force." She placed a hand on my shoulder. "No one got hurt this time, but you have to be more careful in the future. Just because someone's not obviously human doesn't mean you can go all-out on them."  
  
I buried my face in my hands. "God, I'm such an idiot."  
  
"No, you're not, you just made a mistake. It happens to all of us." Her hand began rubbing in circles on my back. "And then we learn. That's how we grow. And as for M'gann, I recommend you talk to her, as soon as you can. Don't let this problem linger any longer than it has to. Otherwise, it may end up as something you regret."  
  
"... Thanks, Diana."  
  
She chuckled a little. "No problem, Ash."  
  


* * *

  
  
About a half hour later, I emerged from the Zeta Tube into the mountain. We'd eventually got back to sparring, but it hadn't lasted much longer before Wonder Woman had gotten a call and had to go take care of League stuff. I'd stayed back to put stuff away before I headed back myself.  
  
No, I wasn't stalling, and anyone who would tell you otherwise is a filthy liar.  
  
As the light of the Tube died out, I was surprised to find Wally, Kaldur, and Robin standing near the monitors, talking among themselves. "Oh, hey guys!" I called out, walking over. "What're you all doing here?"  
  
"Oh hey, Ash!" Wally said, turning to face me. "We were just gonna see if we couldn't figure out some of the mountain's cooler fea...tures..." He trailed off, his face going vacant as he looked at me.  
  
"... Wally?" I snapped my fingers, but he didn't react. "Okay, what's his deal?"  
  
Robin sniggered and gestured a hand at me - or rather what I was wearing. "Sorry, it's just... We've only seen you wearing loose clothing until now, so I don't think he expected you to be so..." He trailed off awkwardly as I scowled and folded my arms under my chest.  
  
"'So' what, exactly?" I narrowed my eyes at him. "Go on, I know what you're thinking. I dare you to say it."  
  
"... Athletic?" Kaldur suggestion, his tone carrying a trace of amusement. My scowl deepened, and Robin nudged his friend in the side urgently.  
  
"b-BIG!" Wally shook his head. "Sorry, must've zoned out, what's going... on..." He gulped as he took in my expression.  
  
"Wally?" I said, my tone sweet as cyanide. "I'm feeling nice right now, so I'm giving you a one-second head start."  
  
"... OKAYSEEYAGUYS!" Wally zoomed off, and I lunged after him as Robin broke down into fits of laughter behind me.  
  
"YOU GET BACK HERE AND TAKE YOUR BEATING LIKE A MAN!" I roared, dashing through the halls of the mountain. No, I wasn't actually gonna hurt him, but he didn't need to know that. I rounded a corner at breakneck speeds, only to skid to a halt moments later as a distinctly non-Wally figure appeared in front of me. "WoahwoahWOAH!" I overcorrected and ended up body-slamming the ground, hard.  
  
"Oh my gosh! Are you... okay?"  
  
I blinked as I sat up. "Oh... M'gann. Hi."  
  
The two of us stared for a moment before looking away. I bit my lip. I knew Wonder Woman had told me I should talk, but I wasn't sure if I was ready... But I didn't know if I would be anytime soon and screw it, she's right there. I took a deep breath and turned back.  
  
""We need to talk.""  
  
M'gann and I stared at each other again for a moment before we realized we'd spoken at the exact same time. I snorted in amusement. "Ah... Sorry. Can I go first?"  
  
"Um, sure."  
  
"Uh..." I coughed. "Look, M'gann... I'm sorry. I... I know I scared you yesterday, and I should have been more careful, but... I got caught up in the moment, and I didn't realize that maybe setting myself on fire in front of the Martian before one-shotting the guy that'd been kicking our asses might be a bit... completely pants-wettingly terrifying for you?"  
  
"... Yeah..." M'gann said. "Kind of. But Ash, it... it wasn't just that."  
  
"Really? Then what..?"  
  
M'gann sighed. "On Mars, there's a beast known as a ma'alefa'ak. It's... dangerous, and rabid, and it's practically immune to telepathy. I've seen them attack other Martians before, and it's... scary." She shuddered before looking me in the eyes. "And when you attacked Mister Twister at the end, the expression on your face... You were smiling, Ash. But it wasn't a nice smile, and... honestly? It made you look just like a ma'alefa'ak." One of her arms came up and rubbed the other. "It's... I know you want to be a hero, Ash. But... I've seen that kind of aggression before, and... I'm worried. I guess... I guess I was scared that one day, you might end up doing something you regret."  
  
I sat in silence, taking deep breaths as I got my thoughts in order. "Okay... I guess I can see that. M'gann... I like fighting. There's something about the thrill of it that just makes me feel... alive, I guess. But I don't like hurting people." I laughed a little. "It's kind of hypocritical, really... With Mister Twister, well, you heard what I said. I rarely get to fight without holding back, so I guess... Well, as I said before, I got a little carried away. But I'd never do that to just for the sake of the thrill. And... I don't want to drive you off because of it."  
  
"I... I think I get it." M'gann smiled at me, even if it was a little weak. "Well, not really, but... I can try."  
  
I picked myself off the floor. "In that case," I said, holding out my hand as I gave a toothy grin, "friends?"  
  
M'gann grabbed my hand. "Friends."  
  
"Great! Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go kill Wally a little."  
  
"... What?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If that last conversation between M'ganna and Ash seems awkward, have you ever been a teenager? Of course, it's gonna be awkward! Talks like that always are, especially for teenagers. I just hope I managed to convey everything going on there well.
> 
> Oh, and this wraps up Arc 2! Next up is an interlude, though probably not a very long one, to start us off with Arc 3. The Santa Prisca mission... Well, lemme tell you something. We're gonna be seeing the effects of a few butterflies already. Don't expect it to be similar to canon, in any way.
> 
> AO3 NOTE: Yes, I did just post the entirety of Arc 2 in one day. What of it?


	18. Arc 3 (Drop Zone): Interlude 3 - Mammoth

**Santa Prisca  
July 9th  
00:43 ECT**  
  
Baran Flinders never liked his name.  
  
What kind of parents named their kids "Baran" and "Selinda," anyway? It was like they wanted their children to be bullied or something. Or maybe they were just into that new-age hippie crap or whatever. He didn't know, nor did he care.  
  
He and his sister had been little hellions, true. They didn't put up with all the crap the other kids tried to pull. A few bloody noses, black eyes, and concussions were all it took before they backed off. But oh, their parents didn't like that, didn't like that these two terrors had hurt their precious little angels. School after school, they were kicked out of, until Mummy and Daddy couldn't find anywhere left in Australia that wanted to put up with them. So they didn't put up with the two either, sending them to live with some aunt in ass-backward Markovia.  
  
But even punishments could be blessings in disguise. Just a few years later, they got caught vandalizing the Vlatavian embassy. The big-wigs in charge were pissed at them, sure, but they'd somehow caught the attention of one of the country's counts that had been visiting. He offered to put them in contact with people who'd allow them to use their talents to their fullest degree. Baran and Selinda had agreed immediately - it's not like anyone would miss them.  
  
In the years since the two teens had acted as enforcers-in-training for quite a few shady organizations. Their current employers, the Cult of the Kobra, were an... interesting bunch. Religious nutjobs, to be sure, but they paid well. And their current plan was definitely crazy, but it was the kind of crazy Baran could get behind.  
  
Santa Prisca... The island country that was little more than a legal cover for the drug empire run by Bane. The guy wasn't someone to be underestimated. Rumor was that he'd gone head to head with the goddamn Batman and come out on top. And Kobra wanted to take over his operations. If it worked, they'd be set for life.  
  
Which was what led them here. The attack had gone almost too well, and Bane and his men were being held at gunpoint in the other room. Kobra, though, wanted to break the man's morale. He'd handed Selinda, who now preferred Shimmer, an injector filled with some kind of purple liquid. He'd told them it would allow Baran to take on Bane, and allow him a chance to live up to his new, ironic name in the process.  
  
Ah, there he was. One of the cultists let Bane through the cage door on the other side of the room. Baran... No, Mammoth strode in through his own door, pushing his hair back and giving the drug lord a cocky smirk. Might as well throw the bastard off his game.  
  
The cultist tossed something through the bars behind Bane. He picked it up, asking a question in Spanish, which the hooded man answered. Mammoth couldn't understand the words, but he could still pick up the smug tone he spoke in. Bane took the object, a bracelet of some kind, and stapped it around his wrist before asking another question and plugging a tube into the back of his mask. Red liquid flowed into his veins, and his muscles bulged, causing the man to grow at least half a foot in height. Bane turned to face him, breathing heavily, and spoke once more as he cracked his neck.  
  
It was almost cute.  
  
He felt his sister reach over, then a sharp pain in his bicep as she injected him. Fire pulsed through him, and he staggered forward, cries tearing out of his throat as his body tore itself apart. His shirt tore as his chest tripled in size, his arm twisting as it exploded in length. Teeth sharpened, skin ripped apart, and for a brief moment, Mammoth wondered if he were about to die.  
  
Then it was over. He picked himself up, reveling in the power flooding through him. With a roar, he charged, bringing his arm sweeping in from overhead to smash Bane into the ground. The luchador blocked the blow with his forearms, sliding back from the force, before delivering two powerful punches himself.  
  
Mammoth barely felt them.  
  
He grabbed Bane's neck and buried his other fist into his stomach. Two more punches to his head and Bane fell back. Mammoth grabbed his arm, throwing him across the room. Bane his the wall hard and slid to the floor.  
  
Mammoth charged again, but just before he reached Bane, his foot spasmed. The hulking brute fell, sliding across the floor. Bane recovered before he could, and a heavy kick landed in Mammoth's face. Mammoth growled and moved to pick himself up, but another spasm, this one in his arm, dropped him again.  
  
Something was wrong. The fire was back, but now it burned painfully as his own muscles began to twist and pull against his will. Bane backed away, confused, as Mammoth writhed on the ground in pain. He began to grow again, but now his skin bubbled, his body swelling in lumps as he desperately tried to regain control.  
  
"NO!" Mammoth saw a cultist wresting with Shimmer, his sister reaching through the bars to him. Sluggishly, he lifted up an arm himself, now warped beyond all recognition.  
  
He hadn't wanted this.  
  
He was going to die.  
  
He didn't want to die.  
  
He didn't want to die!  
  
HE DIDN'T WANT-!  
  
"AAAAAAARGH!"  
  
The world became red.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, how many of you have seen Scanners?
> 
> Imagine that, but it happened to Mammoth's entire body. Pleasant, huh?
> 
> Turns out, when you're forced to use older prototypes of your chemical weapons because some flaming idiot destroyed the entire stable batch, things tend to end up... poorly. RIP Mammoth.
> 
> Who's eager to see what chain of events this particular butterfly sets off?
> 
> AO3 NOTE: Perceptive fans will notice the dates are different from canon here... I admit, this was a mistake on my part, but I decided to just AU it. Shh, don't think too hard about it.


	19. Arc 3 (Drop Zone): Advent of a Hero

**Mount Justice  
July 22nd  
05:47 EDT**  
  
 _A hateful roar split the sky.  
  
"NO!"  
  
Flames scattering, a screech of pain.  
  
A bright light. Something went wrong, it hurt, IT HURT-!_  
  
I screamed as I hit the floor, clawing at the blankets wrapped around me. The fabric tore easily, and as soon as I was free, I scrambled on all fours until I was at the opposite corner of the room. I curled up on myself, holding my knees to my chest as I drew ragged breaths, trying to quell my hammering heart.  
  
"D-dammit..." I quietly choked out. I hadn't had one of those nightmares since... Actually, it had only been earlier this month, hadn't it? So much had happened since then, even without any official missions yet, that it seemed like it had been longer. In a way, I guess I'd just been lucky it hadn't happened before now.  
  
After a few minutes, I'd managed to calm myself down, Mostly, anyways. I stood up and made my way over to the door. I intended to head to the bathrooms, maybe rinse my face off a bit before figuring out what to do for the rest of the morning. So I was surprised when the door opened to reveal my way was blocked by my black-shirted housemate, who was giving me a strange look.  
  
I froze. "Um... Hey, Superboy. Any reason you're standing in front of my room like a creep?"  
  
He frowned a little. "You screamed. I thought you might be in trouble, but I didn't hear anyone else in your room."  
  
"You could have knocked," I huffed. We were quiet for a moment as I awkwardly shuffled my feet. "... I just had a nightmare, that's all. Sorry if I woke you up."  
  
"I was already awake," he replied shortly. We lapsed into silence again, before he glanced down from my face and coughed a little, his face becoming slightly flushed. "Well..." he said in an awkward tone, "I guess I'll... go, then." He turned, stiff, and walked off. I watched him walk off, then looked down myself. I'd been wearing my usual sleepwear, an oversized t-shirt with a pair of shorts. I couldn't see why he'd gotten flustered all of a sudden... Although I guess he might not have been able to see the shorts...  
  
"... Nope, not going down that rabbit hole," I muttered as I marched down to the bathroom.  
  


* * *

  
  
I ended up spending most of the day distracting myself from the events of the morning, moving from task to task as a way to keep busy. I browsed the TV a bit, catching one of the Star Wars movies playing about halfway through and settling down to finish. Then I went over to the kitchen and helped M'gann experiment with cooking a little. We'd done it a couple of times since making up, and the results tended to vary quite a bit. At least it never got dull. After that, I headed down to the gym and messed around with some of the equipment. Unsurprisingly, a fair amount of it was obviously created for superhumans. At least, I assumed that it was unless regular humans could bench-press a literal ton of weights. I'd eventually ended up in the library, browsing the League's extensive collection, when I'd heard the Zeta Tube announce the arrival of Wonder Woman.  
  
She smiled at me as I ran in, perhaps a little faster than I probably needed to. "Hello there, Ashley."  
  
"Hello, Wonder Woman," I replied cheekily. We'd hit upon an unspoken agreement not to call each other by our preferred names unless we were being serious. Sort of a mutual compromise, to keep us both amused and annoyed. A second later, my eyes alighted on a bundle of cloth she was holding in her hands, and I had to fight not to start vibrating in place. "Is that what I think it is?" I asked in a would-be-casual tone.  
  
Wonder Woman's smile widened. "Indeed. Batman's finally finished testing it to his standard. It should be comfortable, easy to move in, fire-proof up to nearly 1,500 degrees Celcius, though I'm not sure how he tested that..." She walked up and gently passed the bundle to me. "And, by your own insistence, _extra-strength_ tear resistant."  
  
"Sweet," I breathed out. I only had vaguely scattered memories of Fairy Tail at this point, but I still remembered more than I wanted to about how easily the characters seemed to damage their clothes in fights. I wasn't exactly eager to follow in their footsteps.  
  
"In addition, I have a few gifts for you as well."  
  
I blinked and looked up to see Wonder Woman holding three more objects in front of her, all colored in gold. A pair of bracers, and a simple circlet, mostly unadorned save for two small "horns" coming off either side of it. I folded the bundle under one arm and slowly reached out with my other, picking up the circlet and examining it. "Woah..."  
  
Wonder Woman's eyes sparkled. "The bracers have no special features, though they are bulletproof. If your reflexes improve enough, I may one day be able to teach you my trick to blocking bullets with them. As for the circlet, I enlisted the help of my fellow League member, Giovanni Zatara, to make it."  
  
"So, wait, it's magic?"  
  
"Yes. I recall how you expressed distaste for using an eyemask, and how you described your... difficulties with covering your lower face instead. So I took a third option." She placed the bracers aside before lifted the circlet from my hands and mimed putting it on my head. "This shall create a perception filter of sorts. Anyone who was previously unaware of the connections between your identities shall be unable to recognize them as the same, so long as you are wearing this, even if you make no other efforts to hide your face. Batman has confirmed the effect shall even work through pictures and video, too, so you need not fear going out in public as a hero."  
  
I felt my jaw drop but felt no particular need to pick it back up. From what I knew about magic, what she's just described was not a simple spell to make, let alone enchant an item with. For her to go to all that trouble for me... "I... Thank you," I said, bowing my head a little. "That's... You didn't have to go so far."  
  
Wonder Woman folder her arms, her gaze piercing. "No. But I chose to. This may seem like a large deal, but if it means one more hero on the streets, helping to keep the world safe, I and all my comrades are willing to go a long way. In many ways, some of your teammates have even more going for them than you. But," she said, reaching out to place a hand on my shoulder, "you're one of them now. And I know you're going to be amazing."  
  
I bit my lip and nodded, not trusting myself to speak. I didn't know what exactly she saw in me. but... I didn't want to let her down.  
  
"Now," Wonder Woman said, cocking her head. "I think all that's left for you is to officially choose your name."  
  
"... Actually," I said quietly, "I think I know what I'm gonna go with."  
  
She listened silently as I told her, waiting patiently as I explained why I chose it. "I'll admit," she said once I'd finished, "it's not the name I would've come up with. It doesn't sound like a classic hero name, and I doubt anyone's going to get the reference. But if you're sure that's what you want?"  
  
I nodded. "I wasn't sure at first, but... It feels right."  
  
"... Then I think it will be a wonderful name." Wonder Woman picked up the bracers and, along with the circlet, handed them to me. "And it's a good thing you've decided, too. You're going to be needing it tonight."  
  
I narrowed my eyes for a moment, then it clicked. "You don't mean-?"  
  
Wonder Woman just gave me one final smile, then turned and walked back through the Zeta Tube. The light was still fading as M'gann and Superboy walked in, both looking at the cloth and metals I was holding. "So..." M'gann said slowly, "what was that about?"  
  
I grinned. "I think we might wanna call the guys up."  
  


* * *

  
  
"So..." Wally's voice drawled out. "Ash talked to Wonder Woman and she hinted that Batman's finally giving us a mission?"  
  
"That's as much as I got out of it," M'gann admitted. "But she sort of ran off afterward. She seems really excited about her new costume."  
  
"Oh, man!" Wally exclaimed. "Man, I can't wait to see what she looks- IT, what it looks like."  
  
Robin's cackle rang out. "We all know that wasn't a mistake, KF. You just don't want her to hit you."  
  
"Okay, maybe, but she's scary when she's mad! Plus, I mean, it's not like she can't hear us..."  
  
"Why isn't she coming out, anyway?" Superboy asked sharply. On the other side of the door, I sighed and rolled my eyes.  
  
"Because, Superboy," I explained, shouting to make sure they all heard me through the metal door, "I want to wait until Kaldur gets here to show you all. If I'm gonna put on a fashion show, I'd prefer to do it once and once only!"  
  
Superboy snorted. "I don't see why you need a costume. I don't. No capes, no tights - no offense."  
  
"Maybe not, but I want one!" I raised my voice to a whine at the end, causing a few people on the other side to start laughing. Before it could really build up, though, a series of footsteps echoed out as another person entered the room.  
  
"So," Kaldur said, "may I ask why M'gann called us all here in costume? And why we're all laughing in an empty hallway?"  
  
"Well," Robin said, "apparently, Wonder Woman was here and hinted to Ash that we'd be getting a proper mission tonight, so we're all hanging out here just in case."  
  
"Truly?" A note of excitement had entered Kaldur's voice. "I hope so. But that doesn't explain the laughing."  
  
"Oh, we're all joking around waiting for you," Wally said. "Ash got her costume, but she insisted on waiting for everyone before she showed it off."  
  
I rapped my knuckles on the door. "Speaking of which, are ya'll ready?"  
  
"We've been ready!" M'gann squealed. "Hurry up!"  
  
"Okay, okay," I chucked, reaching over and pressing the button. My room door opened up, and I walked out into the middle of the group of costumed heroes - sans Superboy. I felt all their eyes on me as they took in my appearance. I couldn't help but blush a little, rubbing the back of my head. "So... what do you guys think?"  
  
My costume took some - well, a lot of inspiration from Wonder Woman, but I'd added enough personal touches to make it my own. I had a somewhat form-hugging - though thankfully supportive - red top that reached up to my throat, a shade or two darker than Wonder Woman's own, with horizontal lines etched into it. It lacked sleeves, allowing my fairly muscular bare arms freedom of movement. My collarbone was decorated with a golden, winged emblem, again similar to my mentor, that reached from shoulder to shoulder. Rather than an eagle head, though, the center of the emblem was instead a stylized draconic skull, a design based off of the [magic circles](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ab/e3/44/abe3440046abb39ac30b23cc9c52367b.png) my powers occasionally summoned.  
  
The bottom half of my costume consisted of a short black skirt and belt, designed in a way to evoke imaged of ancient Greek armor tassets and trimmed with gold, over plain black leggings. A pair of combat boots covered my feet up to about my mid-shin, also black with gold studs around the collar. They lacked normal laces, instead being designed to tighten or loosen around my feet by pressing certain studs. The fact they also loosely resembled greaves helped tie them into my image. I'd also added small gold "claws" to the design, four on each boot tip, though they were purely decorative.  
  
Finally, I wore the bracers and circlet Wonder Woman had gifted me. The "horns" of the circlet actually stuck out noticeably on either side of my head, where my hair hid the rest of the circlet, which made it look like I actually had a small pair of horns. The fact that it also was helping keep my hair out of my face was a bonus, as far as I was concerned.  
  
For a moment, my teammates took in my new appearance. Surprisingly, Superboy was the first one to break the silence. "Alright... That doesn't look horrible."  
  
"Ash, you look amazing!" M'gann cheered, clapping her hands together and floating slightly off the ground.  
  
"No half bad," Robin agreed. "But, that's no real gold, right?"  
  
I scoffed, trying to hide the relief I felt at their approval. "Nah, I'm not an idiot. Also, Batman was helping design it. It's just colored gold. It's also not really reflective, so I don't have to worry about being lit up like a beacon."  
  
Kaldur nodded. "I see. I think it looks quite good on you."  
  
Before we could talk any further, the mountain's intercom buzzed, and Batman's voice came on. "Team, meet in the mission room, now."  
  
"Guess that's our cue," Robin said, and grinning, we all turned to start heading down.  
  
"So, Wally said as we walked, "you've got everything else. Have you picked a hero name yet?"  
  
I smiled at him. "Actually, yes, I have."  
  
"Well, then, don't just leave us in the dark! Tell us what it is!"  
  
"... There's a bit of a story behind it... Would you guys mind if I explained it a little first?"  
  
"We don't mind," Kaldur said. "Please, I'd like to know more."  
  
I took a deep breath. "Well... It's a long story, but..." I hesitated for a moment. "Did you guys know Wonder Woman wasn't actually my first mentor?"  
  
M'gann frowned. "You mean you worked with another hero?"  
  
"Eh, not exactly? He... found me, when I was really young, you see. He helped teach me things, and one of those things was how to use my powers." I rubbed my arm. "It's... He was one of the greatest people I ever knew."  
  
Superboy looked at me. "... What happened?"  
  
I bowed my head in response. "... One day, we were attacked. He held the... the monster attacking us off. He let me escape. And..." I shuddered a little as the memory resurfaced. "... Last I saw of him... He was hurt really bad... I don't think he made it."  
  
We walked in silence for a minute, the others digesting what I had told them. Robin reached out and touched my arm, concern visible on his face. "... Do you miss him?"  
  
"Every day," I said with a nod. "But... He'd want me to remember him at his best." I breathed in, squaring my shoulders and clenching my fist. "So that's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna take his name, and make it my own. And I'm gonna make him damn _proud_ by doing it."  
  
Small smiles appeared on Robin's and Wally's faces as we walked into the mission room. "So," the latter prompted me, "what is it? What's the name?"  
  
I bared my teeth in a feral grin. "Atlas. Atlas Flame."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy. This chapter did not want to be written when I started, but once I got to a certain point, it wouldn't let me stop writing it. Funny how that works.
> 
> I hope I did a decent job describing Ash's costume here. It's loosely based off various Donna Troy outfits with a hint of the fanmade Wonder Woman comics by Nebezial thrown it. (Yes, the ones with Lara Croft with her, just go with it, it's cute.) And of course, I gave it a slight draconic flair, as is only befitting of a Dragon Slayer. I was originally gonna give her a jacket too, like Black Canary (but maybe more Natsu-esque in appearance), but ultimately decided against it. And yes, it is purposefully derivative of her mentor, but so are all the other sidekicks' to some degree, so please don't lynch me.


	20. Arc 3 (Drop Zone): Santa Prisca

"Isla Santa Prisca," Batman intoned once we'd all gathered behind him. He was standing beside Red Tornado and looking up at a holographic screen with an island's map on it, several locations represented as glowing red circles. "This island nation is the primary source of a dangerous and illegal neo-steroid. A strength-enhancing drug, sold under the street name 'Venom.'" The screens changed, this time showing schematics for a large factory of some sort. "Recent infrared scans have shown that production has undergone a massive decrease, and all shipments of the drug have been cut off. That's where this team comes in." He turned to us, his gaze sharp. "This is a covert recon mission only. Observe and report - if the Justice League needs to intervene, it will. The plan will require two drop zones." With this, the screens shifted once more, back to a map with what I assumed to be the drop zones marked in red.  
  
Robin frowned. "So who's in charge?"  
  
Batman and Tornado shared a look, then turned back to us. "Work that out between you," Batman told us.  
  
A few minutes later, we were walking towards the hanger. I looked around at my teammates, chewing my lip as I thought it over. "So..." I ventured, "who wants to be in charge?"  
  
Robin scoffed. "Me, obviously. I've got the most experience out of anyone here."  
  
"Wait, seriously?" Wally snorted. "Dude, you're thirteen, you're the youngest one here. No way you could lead us."  
  
"And you're more mature at fifteen? Dude, c'mon."  
  
I rolled my eyes as they began to squabble. "Okay then. What about you guys?" I asked, turning to M'gann and Superboy. "Either of you wanna take up that mantle?"  
  
Superboy shook his head, and M'gann rubbed her neck. "Not really," she admitted. "Not after that mistake I made with Mister Twister."  
  
"Hey, you did alright," Superboy told her. I blinked upon realizing he was smiling at her - I hadn't seen him smile since CADMUS - and M'gann started blushing moments later.  
  
 _Aw, they like each other, how cute..._ I shook my head before that train of thought could derail and glanced at Aqualad. "How 'bout you?"  
  
Aqualad's lips thinned a little. "I admit, I hold no particular desire to lead. But if it came down to it, I believe I would do a decent job." He looked at me, tilting his head a little. "Do you not want to lead?"  
  
"No way, I'm a noob, remember?" I stretched a little, lacing my fingers behind my head as I walked. "Besides, leadership's never been a particularly strong skill of mine. I'm more of a 'point me where I need to smash stuff' kind of gal."  
  
"Well, we should make the decision soon," Aqualad said as we walked into the hanger. I grimaced a little when I saw the bioship, but... Eh, as long as we didn't encounter another homicidal wind robot, I felt I could handle the trip.  
  


* * *

  
  
 **Carribean Sea  
July 22  
20:08 ECT**  
  
Curse my hubris. I ought to look into time-based magic, just so I could go back and slap myself.  
  
As it turns out, my second trip in the bioship wasn't much better than my first. Granted, it was superior in that no sudden tornados appeared, and as such, I was able to keep the contents of my stomach where they belonged. But other than that? I found the best way to deal with it was to simply close my eyes and focus on literally anything else. Dubiously effective at best, but better than nothing.  
  
"We're approaching our location." I cracked an eye open to glance at M'gann. Or was it Miss Martian now, since we were on a mission? Her eyes were focused dead ahead, and I risked a look to confirm that yes, the mountains of Santa Prisca were now visible above the cloud line, and slowly getting closer.  
  
"Drop zone A in 30," Miss Martian informed us. Aqualad stood up at her announcement, his chair melting back into the floor of the bioship. With a tap on the symbol in his belt, his shirt changed, a grayish-black replacing the red he had worn before. A stealth feature, apparently, one built into most of our suits.  
  
"Ready," he informed Miss Martian. She nodded in response.  
  
"Putting bioship into camoflauge mode."  
  
A shiver passed through the ship, prompting me to close my eyes again and grit my teeth. I would not throw up in the bioship again, I swore I wouldn't. A splash moments later told me that Aqualad had been dropped, just as planned. About a minute later, the radio piece in my ear, identical to the ones the rest of the team possessed, cackled to life.  
  
*Heat and motion sensors have been patched,* Aqualad told us. *Data's now on a continuous loop. Move in.*  
  
We flew on, and before long, Miss Martian brought us to a sweet, merciful halt. "Drop zone B," she said. "You okay, Atlas?"  
  
"I am now," I groaned out, standing up with the others. "Just... No more flying. Please."  
  
Kid Flash chuckled as he grabbed the zip line that melted out of the ceiling. "Maybe we can stop at a pharmacy next time, pick up some stomach medicine for you?" He tapped his chest emblem, and moments later, his suit had faded to black as well. "Oh, how cool is this?"  
  
"Very impressive," Miss Martian acknowledged. She closed her eyes, and her own suit morphed, the skirt and shirt transforming into a black bodysuit, with the red manhunter X staying across the chest, while her cape became a full hooded cloak. She flashed us a small satisfied smirk as she finished, her hands on her hips.  
  
I cocked an eyebrow. "Flattering." I tapped my own emblem at my sternum, darkening the color of my own top to match.  
  
"Yeah, it works too." Kid glanced behind him with a sly grin. "Hey Supey, not too late to put on the new stealth tech."  
  
Superboy gave him a flat look. "No capes, no tights," he insisted, folding his arms. "No offense."  
  
"It totally works for you." I blinked, surprised at the tone in Miss Martian's voice, and turned to look at her just as she seemed to realize what she said. "In that, you can totally do good work in those clothes!" She gave him a thumbs up, but when he turned away, she was quick to pull her hood up and vanish from sight.  
  
 _... Okay, that's something to talk about. But later._  
  
A hole opened up beneath up, and I hurriedly grabbed my own zip line before jumping down after Robin and Kid. We hit the ground after a few moments on not-quite-freefall. Miss Martian reappeared in front of us, but before we could do much more than look at each other, a sound made us look up, then jump aside before a ballistic Superboy slammed into the ground like a meteor. In a textbook three-point landing, too.  
  
"Knew I didn't need a line," he quipped.  
  
"And yet," Robin spat out, "creating a seismic event may not have helped us with the covert!"  
  
"Showoff," I muttered, picking myself up.  
  
Miss Martian flew down, apparently having dodged up, above the rest of us. "Aqualad, drop zone B is a go," she spoke into the comms as the rest of us gathered around Robin, who brought up his wrist computer to confirm our location.  
  
*Head for the factory. I'll track your GPS and rendezvous ASAP.*  
  
"Roger that." With that, Robin shut off his computer, and we set off into the jungle.  
  


* * *

  
  
We'd made it a small ways towards our objective, Robin's gadgets helping us to avoid the various mines and traps littered about when Superboy stopped us. "Did you hear that?"  
  
"Uh, no," Kid replied as we slowed to a halt. "Wait, is this a super-hearing thing?"  
  
"You do have great ears..." Miss Martian... gushed, for lack of a better term. I had to bite my tongue to keep myself from saying something stupid in response.  
  
"Okay, Rob, now what?" Kid asked, turning to look at...  
  
I blinked. "Uh, where's Robin?" Where our teammate had stood seconds ago was now just an empty path.  
  
"Man, I hate it when he does that..."  
  
"Oh, so this is a usual thing for him. Great." I couldn't help but roll my eyes a bit.  
  
*Superboy, Kid,* Aqualad's voice sounded in our ears. *Switch to infrared, see if you're being tracked.*  
  
Kid pulled his goggles down, pressing a button on the side of them and peering through the trees. "... Got a squad of armed bozos... and they're coming in fast."  
  
We moved forward, ducking behind some fallen trees as Superboy scanned a different section. "Two squads... No, three? It almost looks like they're combing the jungle."  
  
"Shit. Have we already been found out?" I asked, glancing around the logs myself.  
  
*I don't think-*  
  
 _POP POP POP POP POP_  
  
We all flinched as Aqualad was cut off by the sound of gunfire. "What happened? Who are they shooting at?" Miss Martian asked.  
  
Kid poked his head up. "What the? It looks like one of the squads found someone... Oh crap, Rob?" He almost instantly hurled himself over the logs and ran off.  
  
*Not good. The rest of you need to follow him, make sure he and Robin aren't in over their heads.*  
  
"Got it!" Miss Martian took off, and Superboy and I raced off after her as fast as we could.  
  
A half minute of travel, and quite a bit of maneuvering around vines and mud later, and we emerged into an active firefight. All three squads had apparently shown up just before us, but surprisingly, it looked like they'd decided to start shooting each other up, rather than whatever target they'd found. It didn't take a genius to figure out why, though. While two of the squads were dressed more or less like normal thugs, the only real distinctions between them being their relative locations and the fact they weren't trying to kill each other, the third one was made up of men and women in red robes with snake-like hoods. All three of them were wielding various assault rifles as they desperately tried to kill the other guys without dying themselves. You know, basic Call of Duty tactics.  
  
Kid was already going to work, blurring among the thugs and throwing punches, kicking guns away from their targets, and generally sowing chaos. However, the muddy terrain was clearly hampering him, keeping him from moving nearly as fast as I'd seen him go before.  
  
Superboy and I entered the fray with a dynamic entry, plowing into two of the thugs that were trying to get a bead on Kid. They crumpled beneath the two of us easily, and I took a second to stomp on my guy's gun, breaking it beyond use. Shouts rang out around us as the rest of them realized we'd shown up, and with an eager grin, I jumped into the fight.  
  
It didn't take me long to fall into the rhythm of the battle. A punch here, a kick there. Headbutt that guy, take this one's gun, use to bludgeon him upside his head. It was almost... comforting, in a weird way. Exciting and thrilling, of course, but there was a sense of familiarity, of purpose here. Duck and weave, a one-two punch to KO him. Kick the kneecap, chop him in the back of the neck. Yes, fights could be brutal, and ugly, and horrible, but this?  
  
It may be wrong for me to think like this, but this? This was living.  
  
I whirled to face a new opponent, only for him to drop before I could do more than blink. Robin stood there, batarangs in hand. "What is wrong with you guys?" he yelled, tossing his 'rangs at a few nearby hooded mooks. "Remember covert? Why didn't you follow my lead, vanish into the jungle?"  
  
"What the hell're you on about?" I snaked my arm around a thug's that had tried to sneak up on me, dislocating it with a sharp tug before dropping him with an elbow to a face. "You just disappeared, then these guys started shooting at someone! We thought you were in trouble!"  
  
"Yeah!" Kid grunted, slowing to a halt beside up after throwing a hood mook. "We aren't mind readers, you know! Well, most of us," he amended as several more mooks were thrown through the treeline by a telekinetic wave.  
  
"Atlas told me to only read the bad guy's mind," Miss Martian said petulantly as she alighted beside us. A quick look around showed us that all the mooks were down for the count, save for one that was starting to run away.  
  
At least, until Aqualad dropped in front of him and magi-tasered him. Convenient.  
  
"Why'd you think I was in trouble?" Robin asked. "I can take care of myself."  
  
"Superboy said that the first of these guys were shooting at someone. Singular someone," Kid explained. "If it wasn't you, then-"  
  
"Here." We looked over at Aqualad's voice, watching him approach us slowly, someone held in his grip. Said someone was a teenage girl, around our own age, with ginger hair shaved into a flopped-over mohawk and a tattoo on the exposed side of her head. She was bleeding from a gunshot wound in her shoulder, but she still glared defiantly at us.  
  
"I found her hiding nearby," Aqualad explained. "Let us restrain everyone, and then, perhaps, we can get some answers."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God, this chapter fought me. I'm honestly still not happy with it, especially given how abrupt it seems to end, but I've delayed this long enough. I just want to get it out there and move on. Maybe later, I'll come back and do a rewrite to fix the flow, but for now? I'm just glad I'm finally getting this posted.


	21. Arc 3 (Drop Zone): Snakes and Batters

It didn't take us too long to tie the various mooks to trees nearby. Once we were sure they were all bound securely, we moved as a group a short distance away, giving us a bit of privacy as we tried to decide what to do with our single conscious captive.  
  
"Poke."  
  
We'd been talking about it for several minutes now, and to be entirely honest, we were going nowhere fast. The redhead clearly didn't want to talk, and none of us could think of any way to make her without resorting to... unsavory tactics. Given that we were all heroes here, there was zero chance of that happening.  
  
"Poke."  
  
I had no real input myself, nothing that could help, at any rate. So I'd left the others to talk for a bit while I found other ways of entertaining myself.  
  
"Poke!"  
  
Ginger shot a glare at me from the corner of her eye. I just grinned back and waved at her with the stick I was holding, before lowering it and tapping it gently against her side again. "Poke!"  
  
"Atlas, please stop tormenting her," Aqualad called to me.  
  
"Pfft, 'tormenting.' It's not hurting her, is it?"  
  
"No. But it is a little... juvenile."  
  
I responded with a very mature raspberry, but dropped the stick and stood up. "Sorry. You guys figured out what to do yet?" I asked, noticing they had all finished talking.  
  
Aqualad nodded, glancing next to him for a moment, where Miss Martian was standing. "We have." With that, he briskly made his way over to Ginger, giving me just enough time to move aside before he crouched down, eye-level to where we'd tied her sitting down to a large tree. The others gathered around as he began to talk to her.  
  
"Let us start with who you are. What is your name?"  
  
Ginger met his gaze with a silent stare, but Aqualad forged on. "What are you doing here? Are you working for someone on this island?" he asked in an almost demanding tone. She stayed silent, but I heard a hiss of triumph from behind me.  
  
"Her name's Shimmer," Miss Martian reported. "She and her brother were brought to this island to help the Cult of the Kobra."  
  
Ginger -- I mean, Shimmer looked surprised, and Aqualad met her gaze evenly. "We don't enjoy doing this. However, we need information on what's been happening on this island. You can either give it to us willingly, or we will take it. Your choice."  
  
Her expression turned defiant for a moment before she dropped her head. "Fine," she growled out, just a hint of an accent in her voice. "I'll talk. Just get out of my head."  
  
I shot Miss M a thumbs-up, which she replied to with a nervous grin, before turning back to listen to Shimmer's story.  
  
She told us about how she and her brother, a dude she called Mammoth, had worked as mercenaries for a large part of their lives, and how they'd recently been assisting those cultist guys with various missions. The most recent one was supposed to be easy -- come to Santa Prisca, get their hands on some Venom, combine it with this new super-drug that Kobra'd recently revealed to then, and use it to kick Bane and his goons out of their own base in order to make more of this so-called "Kobra Venom" and sell it to the highest bidder. I guess even cults needed to get money somehow. The plan had almost worked, too. The thing was, this new drug apparently had an unexpected side-effect...  
  
"... I'm sorry, did you just say your brother _exploded?!_ " I asked, incredulous. Miss Martian and Kid Flash both looked like they were gonna be sick, and while Robin, Superboy, and Aqualad were controlling their expressions better, they all still looked a bit disturbed.  
  
"His body... it tore itself apart." Shimmer's voice held no emotion, clipped and clinical, but there was an unmistakable pain in her eyes. "Kobra... That bastard said that it was safe. He lied to us."  
  
"I'm sorry for your loss," Aqualad intoned, his voice heavy, "but we need to know what happened next."  
  
"I barely know myself... Bane slipped out during the confusion that followed. So did his men. By the time the Cult had realized they disappeared, well... It seems that he had some insurance in case of a situation like this. Charges were set off, and most of his base -- and his Venom supply -- were destroyed." Shimmer ground her teeth. "I had tried to kill Kobra for what he did to my brother, but he caught me and would have likely ended my life if not for what Bane did. I escaped, but now I'm trapped on this island and both sides wage a war over what's left of Bane's operations." She glared at each of us in turn. "There. You have what you want."  
  
"Thank you," Aqualad said, inclining his head. "I believe that one way or another, we can get you off this island tonight... But first I have to talk to my team."  
  


* * *

  
  
"So what are we gonna do with her?" I asked, jerking my head towards Shimmer's tree. We'd left her there and moved a short way away to talk where she couldn't hear. "Hell, for that matter, what are we gonna do, period?"  
  
Kid rubbed the back of his head. "I mean, we could leave now, couldn't we? Our mission was to find out why Venom shipments stopped, and now we know why. We're kind of done here."  
  
Robin sighed and shook his head. "No, we still don't know the whole story. Sure, Shimmer might have been telling the truth -- she probably was -- but we need to be certain. Plus, if we're here anyway, we may be able to do something about the war here. And what would show the League that this team was a good idea more? Just telling them about the fighting, or actually being able to stop it?  
  
"While I don't agree with his reasons, I do also think we should stay," Aqualad interjected. "There is more to this story than what we've seen. Something Shimmer said... I cannot put my finger on it, but I know our job's not done here."  
  
"Tch." Superboy crossed his arms. "So if we're gonna stay, what are we gonna do? Ain't like either side's the good guys here."  
  
I blinked as I processed Superboy's words. _Oh, god, no, please don't say--_  
  
"We should split up," Aqualad and Robin said at the same time.  
  
I barely resisted the urge to facepalm before growling out, "That sounds like a terrible idea. Splitting up is always a terrible idea."  
  
"Not always," Robin countered, "and it makes sense. There are two major groups, meaning two targets... _And_ two of us who want to lead the Team," he added with a cocky little grin.  
  
Aqualad frowned. "A group for you to lead, and a group for me, then."  
  
"Hey, and whoever leads their group better can lead the Team!" Kid said, clapping his hands with a smile. "It's perfect!"  
  
"This is not a game," Aqualad cautioned. "As useful as this may seem, both groups need to be on top of the mission. Should one of us get caught, it will make things far more difficult for everyone."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, we know." Robin waved a hand towards him. "I'm thinking I'll lead the group going after Bane's side. Bats and I have fought with him a lot before this, so I know quite a bit about how he's likely to have set up his new base and chain of command. Miss M, you wanna come with? Having someone that can turn invisible would be really useful!"  
  
"Oh, o-okay!" Miss Martian nodded and floated over to Robins's side, wringing her hands nervously. "Though, wouldn't it be useful to have some muscle, too? Maybe Superboy should come with us!"  
  
Robin looked skeptical. "Well... It wouldn't hurt... if he can stay _quiet_."  
  
"Whatever." Superboy moved to stand over with them, and I noticed Miss M getting a happy little smile when he stopped and stood next to her.  
  
Kid nodded. "So, I guess I'm also gonna go with--"  
  
"Us." I grabbed his arm and, ignoring the protests, dragged him over to stand by Aqualad. "For the record," I told Kid, "I still think this is a stupid idea, but if we have to, it's best to split us up evenly."  
  
"... Well, I guess I don't have a problem with this, either." He gave me what I'm sure he thought was a charming smile.  
  
"Yeah, sure." I turned to look at Aqualad. "So, fearless leader, where to?"  
  
Aqualad gazed at both of us before turning back to look towards where we left Shimmer. "We will be going after the Cult of the Kobra. And we have a prisoner who knows about the strengths and weaknesses the members on the island possess at the moment. It should not be too difficult to convince her to assist us, especially since we have a way off of Santa Prisca." He turned back to us, a small smile appearing on his face. "We may not be as stealthy as the other group, but I feel we can work something out."  
  
Kid and I took a moment to turn his words over in our heads, then turned to each other and grinned.  
  


* * *

  
  
"There they are."  
  
Aqualad, Kid Flash, Shimmer and I were all laying on our stomachs at the top of a large hill at the end of the jungle, looking down on a cliffside clearing below us. Given its size, very few people seemed to be moving among the tents and crates, though it was still more people than I would have liked. Enough to field several visible sentries, anyway. The biggest problem we could see, though, was just landing outside of the camp.  
  
"That doesn't have any of Kobra's symbols on it," Kid muttered as we watched the heavily-armed attack helicopter land. "Must be mercenary of some sort. Backup muscle to replace the people they lost?"  
  
"Maybe," Aqualad replied quietly. "We must be cautious." He turned to look out our escort, who still had her hands tied behind her back., then to me. "Atlas, stay here and look after Shimmer."  
  
"Seriously?" I hissed. "Splitting us up even more?"  
  
"Out of necessity. Both Kid Flash and I have had more stealth training than you, and we cannot bring her into the camp safely without freeing her, which we cannot do for obvious reasons."  
  
"... Dammit," I sighed. "I hate it when you make sense. I'll do it."  
  
"Thank you." Aqualad nodded to Kid, and moments later, they were off, making their way down the hill.  
  
"Alright then, come on." I grabbed Shimmer's shoulder and crawled with her further into the jungle, then standing up once we were out of sight of the camp's sentries and roughly leading her through the foliage until we were back at the small clearing Aqualad had designated as a rendezvous point.  
  
She hissed in pain a little as I shoved her into the center of the clearing, causing her to trip and fall. "Sorry," I muttered, leaning against a tree to watch her.  
  
"No you aren't," she grumbled, picking herself up. "It's not like you care about me, other than how I'm useful to you."  
  
"That's not true."  
  
"Isn't it? You certainly don't trust me enough to free me, and while you may be taking me back to America, I feel like it's also a one-way trip to a prison cell." I scowled, and she smirked. "Got it in one, didn't I?"  
  
"... Maybe." I sighed and ran a hand down my face. "Seriously, I am sorry. I'm just a little frustrated at being left behind... Besides, I know prison's not exactly gonna be fun, but right now, your choices are that or letting your cultist friends hunt you down, and they've got some pretty big guns, don't they?"  
  
"Hmmph. Perhaps it is better to die free than live a prisoner."  
  
"Is it?" I met her gaze for a moment, then shrugged. "I don't know about that. Can't say I really know any answers to those big, existential questions."  
  
We lapsed into silence for a while, Shimmer trying to get comfortable and me keeping an eye on her. Sure, she had led us to the right place, but I wouldn't put it past her to try something if meant getting out of her bonds and off the island. She was a mercenary, after all, and that lifestyle's not exactly one that ends up forging trustworthy people.  
  
I'm not sure how long the two of up sat there, not saying anything. Ten, fifteen minutes? She had turned to me several times as if she was gonna say something, only to close her mouth and turn away after a few seconds. Either way, I was just thinking that I was getting bored, and starting to want something exciting to happen.  
  
I'm pretty sure Murphy has a sense of humor.  
  
Shimmer turned to me once again, but this time, her eyes almost instantly went wide, and her body rigid. A second later, I heard something move behind me. My instincts screamed at me, and I threw myself on top of her.  
  
Gunfire erupted behind me. I pushed Shimmer behind me as I whirled around, noting the tree I'd just been leaning against was almost completely shredded from bullet holes, right as a man's voice called out from behind it.  
  
"Nice reflexes, kid! That's some impressive stuff." He stepped around the tree, and I took his features in. A gray hockey mask concealed his face, but not his close-cropped blond hair. He wore what looked like a combination of sports gear and body armor, and he held a full-auto rifle in his hands for a moment before slinging it over his shoulder and pulling out what looked like a metal baseball bat. "You know, it'd be a shame to waste that talent of yours, so how about you hand over the girl and I can forget I ever saw you?"  
  
"Fat chance," I spat out. "Who are you, anyway?"  
  
A chuckle escaped his lips. "Name's Sportsmaster, kid. And I'm the guy who's about to give you a _very_ bad day."


	22. Arc 3 (Drop Zone): A Bombastic Encounter

If you had told me a few months ago, or even weeks ago, that I’d end up fighting some mercenary dressed up in a conflicting, clashing mishmash of sports gear and heavy weaponry, I’d have wondered what the hell kind of drugs you were on. If you had then told me that that man, despite having no powers, would proceed to absolutely hand me my own ass, I probably would have just walked away, not wanting to engage any further with such an obvious troll.  
  
“OH, MOTHERFU-AAAGH!”  
  
Past me was kind of an idiot like that.  
  
I ducked behind the tree, hissing in pain as gunfire rained around me. My arms were sore and stinging, and I could already see the bruising began to form from where the bullets had impacted them. Given how my torso felt, there has likely more of the same underneath my costume.  
  
But hey, on the bright side, at least I knew now I was bulletproof! Well, kind of.  
  
I really only had myself to blame for this. Well, okay, no, I could also blame Sportsmaster for, y’know, actually shooting me. I could blame Shimmer, since I’d had to stay practically on top of the redhead in order to keep her from getting hurt or worse. I could also blame my teammates for leaving me alone, or hell, even Batman for assigning us this stupid mission in the first place!  
  
… I may be getting off-track. The point was, as bad as the situation I was in was, it really could’ve been a lot simpler if I hadn’t acted like an idiot. For instance, I could’ve, I don’t know, not pissed the guy off by laughing at his one-liner? Or maybe I shouldn’t have attacked him before knowing just what kind of equipment he had on him. Like, say, a fucking dodgeball filled to the brim with fire-supressing foam that popped against my skin like a balloon?  
  
My arms shook as I got the last of said foam off. At least all the sprinting and dodging I’d been doing had helped, my momentum keeping it from hardening on me properly, but that had not been a pleasant surprise.  
  
The gunfire abruptly ceased, and after a moment, Sportsmaster’s voice echoed out. “Really? You’re playing keep-away now? What happened to all that bravado, kid?”  
  
I bit my tongue. He was trying to get me to respond, to lure me out, but I couldn’t fall for that again. He’d demonstrated quite an arsenal against me earlier, when I’d rushed in unthinkingly. Concussive hockey pucks, carbon-fiber javelins, and what I’d originally thought was a metal baseball bat until it had hit me and erupted like a flashbang. The only good thing that had come out of that was the single glancing hit I’d managed on him, which was still more than enough to send him stumbling back. He’d been moving tenderly ever since, meaning I might have cracked a rib or two, but he’d been sure to keep me at a distance since, laying down suppressing fire mixed with his puck grenades to keep me off him.  
  
Huffing, I flexed a bit and let the warmth of my magic flood me. When he’d covered me with that foam, I’d been unable to call up a flame of any decent size to help me, save perhaps a Roar, which I… didn’t really want to do. Oh, stealth had gone right out the window the moment Sportsmaster had attacked, but a Dragon’s Roar was way too strong. It would basically be a signal flare to literally every hostile on the island - “Here I am! Come kill me please!” But some of my other moves might be just subtle enough to help give me the edge I needed against this guy, if I could just leverage it right…  
  
I nudged Shimmer with my foot. She looked up at me, and I narrowed my eyes at her, jabbing my finger first at her, then at the ground. Stay put. She almost looked like she was about to argue, but then she glanced over at where we could hear Sportsmaster moving around, and she gave me a short nod. With the message relayed, I tensed, sneaking a small peak around the tree. Sportsmaster was looking in our general direction, but he wasn’t paying close attention to where I was specifically, instead paying attention to the other side of the tree. It made sense, there was less brush on that side, much easier to get out from, but that was far too obvious of a move. Did he think it was my first day or something?  
  
… I guess it technically was. Huh.  
  
Crouching down a bit, I moved my hand slowly over the ground, searching. It only took a few moments before my hand brushed over a large rock. I grasped it and stood, keeping my movements slow. A flick of my wrist, and the rock went flying, passing behind the tree before shooting off to parts unknown. And, as Sportsmater turned to follow the movement, I launched my assault.  
  
“Fire Dragon’s… TAIL LASH!” I sprung forward onto my hands, swinging my legs around as a rope of flames formed from my soles, whipping towards Sportsmaster with a dull roar. To his credit, the man reacted fast, jumping over the attack with ease, only to stumble and curse on his landing, his hand going to his side.  
  
I didn’t let up on the opening, rolling to my feet and dashing towards him, trails of fire burning in my palms as I thrust them behind me, providing me with a boost of speed. Sportsmaster dropped his gun, bringing his bat out instead, but I wasn’t about to let him score a hit on me with that thing again. Even as he swung, I dropped under it and rolled, planting my feet at the end for a split second before launching myself at him, flames enveloping my body as I did so. “FIRE DRAGON’S SWORD HORN!”  
  
Sportsmaster ducked under the attack, leaving me to shoot over him as he pulled out one of his hockey puck grenades and tossed it after me. I spun, flames sputtering out, and let myself drop under it, even as it exploded and sent me crashing into the ground. It only took a moment before my feet were back under me, and I was once again dashin at Sportsmaster.  
  
“FIRE DRAGON’S SCALED FIST!” He dodged my flame-coated fist and danced out of the way, leaving his gun on the ground next to me. I stomped on it with a growl, my strength more than enough to utterly destroy it, before once more running at my opponent. Infuriatingly, he kept dodging, moving at the absolue last second before simply letting my attacks pass by him. The bastard wasn’t even trying to attack my back, content to let me expend my energy on what was quickly becoming a futile endeavour.  
  
“You absolute… bitch-assing… son of a FUCK, STAND STILL!” I practically roared, allowing flames to burn down the length of my arms as I swept them out. “FIRE DRAGON’S WING ATTACK!”  
  
The flames sang in response, eating through the air as they flew across the clearing. Sportsmaster shrank back, unable to completely dodge, allowing the force of the attack to carry him away from me. He fell on his back as the spell dissipated, coughing a little as he glared up at me. “Language…” he choked out. “Seriously, do you kiss your mother with that mouth?”  
  
“I’m an orphan, jackass,” I replied, stalking towards him. “Now, do me a favor and surrender? Unless you really want to know what your own burning skin smells like, of course.”  
  
… Okay, maybe I was a little pissed off.  
  
Sportsmaster laughed wetly. “Kid, you’re strong, I’ll give you that…” I tensed as he stood up, reaching into one of his belt pouches. “But you seriously need to work on your skills. Case in point?” He pulled out a black tube, one with a black cap he flipped off to reveal a red button… A detonator. “Situational awareness. Did you think I was doing nothing when you hid?”  
  
My eyes widened as I realized two things. First, there was a faint beeping noise, coming from every direction around me except in front, where Sportsmaster stood. How he got so many bombs down, I’ll never know. And second? We’d gotten turned around in the fight, and now SPortsmaster was standing right in front of the tree Shimmer was hiding behind.  
  
I launched myself forward, reaching out to Sportsmaster, as if I could grab the detonator away. “DON’T YOU FUCKING DA-!”  
  
His thumb came down on the button as he closed his eyes, and my world became light and pain.  
  


* * *

  
  
“...”  
  
Everything hurt.  
  
“...!”

There was a ringing in my ears. I could feel something touching my shoulder, shaking it gently.  
  
“...las!”  
  
What just…  
  
Sportsmaster. The bombs. Shimmer.  
  
“Atlas!”  
  
My eyes shot open at the sound of my codename and I rocketed up, my skull colliding with something with a solid THWACK! Someone yelped, and I shook my head, trying to clear out the ringing, before looking around.  
  
I was in the middle of the jungle again. It took me a moment to figure out why, but then I noticed the several broken trees and the crater of dirt and stone surrounding me. Geez, how powerful had those bombs been, if they sent me flying like that? At least it seems like my trajectory had been mostly straight, rather than launching me up…  
  
Then I heard groaning, and looked down to see Wall… I mean Kid Flash, laying on the ground in front of me, clutching his forehead and making little pained noises. I blinked in confusion at the sight. “Wha..?”  
  
“You headbutted him when you woke up.” I turned my head at the voice, seeing Kal… Aqualad standing a short distance away. His face was a mask of concern. “He’ll be fine… but are you okay, Atlas? What happened?”  
  
“I… fuck.” I sat up straight, my hands going up to rub my temples. “I got ambushed… Sportsmaster. Some kind of merc, I think. We fought, and he had bombs, and… Shit!” I jumped to my feet, wobbling as I lost my balance for a second. “Shimmer, he was after her, did he..?”  
  
Aqualad shook his head. “I recognize Sportsmaster’s name, but neither he nor Shimmer were here when we arrived. He is probably already long gone.”  
  
“Fuck! That means I… FUCK!” I couldn’t stop a few flames from appearing at my exclamation, causing Aqualad to step back even as I gesculated wildly at the air. “I was supposed to keep an eye on her! I couldn’t even do that! I… I fucked up…” The flames died as my arms went limp, and I let my head hang. “I’m sorry, Aqualad… I fucked up.”  
  
Aqualad hesitated for a moment before walking forward, placing a hand on my shoulder. “No, Atlas. Sportsmaster is a serious threat, one that I doubt the League was expecting us to face so soon. I know he was given even the likes of my kind trouble in a one-on-one battle, despite being a normal human.” I looked up, staring into Aqualad’s gray eyes and he offered me a reassuring smile. “It is unfortunate that he managed to get away with his target, but the only thing we can do now is move forward, and finish our mission. Okay?”  
  
I stared at him for a few more moments before nodding, taking a deep breath as I tried to wrestle with my feelings. Sportsmaster getting away was… I was pissed off. At him, and at myself. But Aqualad was right, there really wasn’t anything else we could do right now.  
  
“Okay…” I smiled at Aqualad. “Thank you.” He nodded, squeezing my shoulder just a little before letting go.  
  
“Uh, guys? Kind of dying over here!”  
  
“RIP to you, then,” I replied, smirking down at Kid’s prone form.  
  
“I’m serious! You have a hard head!”  
  
“Yeah, most people just call it ‘stubborn’ and ‘willful,’ though.”  
  
“Oh, ha ha.” Kid stood up, dusting off his suit. Then he gave me a weird look. “But seriously, Atlas, are you..?”  
  
I sighed. “Not really, but we can worry about that after the mission, right?” He frowned, but nodded, and I turned to Aqualad. “So, bossman, what’s the plan?”  
  
Aqualad straightened a little. “The helicopter in the Kobra’s camp was clearly Sportsmasters, but we managed to find a bit of information relating to the cult’s overall goal here as well. They’ve managed to get a small cache of Venom, but Kobra wants more. It seems they have a buyer lined up, and we believe Sportsmaster is here as their intermediary.”  
  
“The thing is,” Kid picked up, “Kobra’s forcing his men to stay here and wage a war on Bane’s group. It looks like there’s a few cultists who are kind of starting to realize they’re, well, in a cult, but I don’t think their ranks as a whole will break as long as they have a reason to stay on the island.”  
  
“A reason… so, like, as long as there’s still Venom on the island?” I received two nods in response. “So, hypothetically, if we destroyed Bane’s supply, they’d retreat?”  
  
Aqualad nodded again. “We still have to meet up with Robin’s team and discuss the idea with them, but I believe it is the best way to bring hostilities here to an end. Unfortunately, our comms seem to be down, and we have not been able to contact them.”  
  
“So, what are we waiting for?” Kid flung his hands out. “Let’s go already!”  
  
I glanced over as Aqualad, and he sighed and nodded once more. Kid cheered, and like that, the three of us set off through the jungle, towards the other side of the island.  
  
“How do you think Robin’s team is doing?” I asked the two of them as we walked.  
  
Kid laughed in response. “Well, I doubt they have it any worse than you did, that’s for sure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AO3 NOTE: And with this, A Slayer's Justice has officially been fully crossposted! I am currently working on the next chapter, but for now, ya'll are gonna have to wait for more content at the same rate as everyone over on Spacebattles. Which, depending on if and when I can focus on writing, could be anywhere from later today to several months from now, but I'm aiming for sooner rather than latter. XD
> 
> Have a good day, folks, and remember to stay hydrated!


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